


Separation Anxiety

by KeJae



Category: Chuck (TV), White Collar
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:15:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 56,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23605168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeJae/pseuds/KeJae
Summary: The brothers were close as children, but an accident has caused decades of separation anxiety. Finding each other again, the Burke brothers have to fill in the gap and come to terms with life again.
Comments: 39
Kudos: 72





	1. Lost

*******

It was a task force operation. Sometimes Neal liked these jobs as he got to work with interesting new people. But, other times, those new people weren't so nice which countered any potential interest they might present. This was one of the latter operations.

They were working with Agent Sullivan. He was a ladder-climbing hotshot from Washington who seemed to find it his mission to make Neal's life miserable while they were working together.

Case in point, he spent the ride up the elevator pointing out details of Neal's life that he didn't approve of. Then, when they reached the office, he was confident enough to blatantly state, "No wonder you don't talk about your family Caffrey, they probably abandoned you."

Not overly interested in his jab, Neal just grunted. "You might not be far off there. My earliest memory is of waking up on a riverbank with no idea who I was or how I ended up there. No one ever came looking for me."

He wasn't feeling right so Neal moved to take off his tie so that he could breathe easier. Then he took off his jacket, vest, and shirt trying to find the source of his distress.

Sullivan wasn't certain what was happening so he stepped back quietly as Peter approached.

The team had just run a sting to make an arrest completing their taskforce. However, when Neal was leaving the scene and walking back towards the vehicles he was bumped by another pedestrian passing by. It hurt slightly, but he thought they had something in their pocket. Now he wasn't so sure.

"What are you doing, Neal?" Peter was by his side in worry while the rest of the office paused to observe.

"My heart rate is up, I'm burning hot, and it's getting harder to breathe," Neal stated his symptoms while Peter ordered Jones to dial emergency 911.

"Bingo!" Neal indicated a tiny puncture mark on his arm with a red circle around it. The injury seemed harmless, but apparently, he'd been poisoned. "Just after we left the scene, a man bumped into me." Giving the description so that the team could trace him, Neal noticed that Diana was writing down the details furiously. "Isn't white-collar supposed to be a tamer field? It's not like there's typically assassins stabbing people in the streets." Neal knew where that was a more common occurrence, but he refrained from commenting on it.

"You just have to go and make everything more complicated." Peter sighed, but Neal knew he was worried about him and trying to cover it up as emotions weren't comfortable for the agent. "Here, sit down."

With Peter's help, Neal lowered himself to the floor while trying to analyze what might be in his system. It hadn't killed him, at least not yet, but it had hit him rather hard from the elevator ride to standing in the office. He hadn't noticed anything beyond a dull ache before that and it had been so minuscule he'd not paid it any mind.

"Hey, Neal, are you with me?" Peter seemed to be calling for his attention so Neal focused in on him.

"Why don't you tell me more about what you were saying before? What is this about waking up on a riverbank?" The agent was curious, but he also wanted to keep Neal engaged in conversation with him. Neal knew what the tactic was so he complied.

"Don't know much. I woke up on the river bank soaking wet and feeling like a drowned rat. It was a warm afternoon, but I was still mostly in the shallows with the water keeping me cold. The next time I regained consciousness there were some police officers talking over me as they handled the situation for finding me." Neal drifted off into those memories of the hot sun on his face while the cool water slowly flowed past him preventing him from maintaining a decent body temperature. He'd hurt like the river had pummeled him downstream against the river bed and any obstacle in its path until spiting him up into the mushy shallows where he seemed to be stuck in the mud.

Snapping fingers in his face brought his attention back to Peter's worried expression. "I need you to stay with me, Neal. The paramedics are coming up the elevator and will be here in another minute or two. What happened after they found you?"

Trying to hold on, Neal picked the story back up. "As a result, I was transported to the nearest hospital where I was diagnosed with multiple head injuries, bruising all over, sunburn, symptoms of drowning, and amnesia. They estimated me to be about ten but were uncertain as I had no identification on me and I wasn't in the system. When no one came for me, I was placed in foster care with a retired police officer in a nearby town. She had retired due to an injury but she made sure I had everything I needed until I left at eighteen." Those had been hard years. The local police force came up with the theory that it was an attempted murder and he was abandoned when the effort failed. Their attitude had affected some of the community as many looked upon him as the misfit stranger no one wanted. It didn't bode well for playground bullies or town gossips; he'd been the mockery of them all for years. Fortunately, the retired police officer who'd taken him in didn't hold to those theories. Ellen had feared that perhaps there had been an accident. But, since no one ever came, Neal was more inclined to believe the theory that he'd been abandoned. Whether that included attempted murder or not haunted his nightmares as a child and even up into the rare occurrence as an adult. Murky memories of nearly drowning were the most realistic and worst methods of attempted murder that his mind tortured him with.

"Neal," Peter resulted in tapping his face to get his attention back. "What date were you found, do you know?"

Mumbling the date, Neal felt himself drifting into unconsciousness and it didn't matter how much Peter yelled at him to stay with him, he couldn't stop the effects of whatever poison was in his system. As the world faded, he tipped sideways feeling Peter's hands catch him before oblivion took over.

*******

The first few hours were a flurry of activity in White Collar as the team researched the assailant to find Damien Gray, a hired hitman often used by criminals when they sensed trouble coming. He'd been observing from afar and noticed that much of the case was focused around Neal's presence. After they caught him, he denied having done anything to their agent, but with enough evidence they were able to convince him otherwise. Rather than go down for manslaughter, he gave them enough information to give Neal a fighting chance.

But, if that fighting chance was going to be enough or not, was still something that worried them.

After Neal slipped into a coma, Peter pulled up a chair and worked out of his hospital room. It wasn't any current case that kept him occupied, but rather two old cases. He was researching Neal's history in potential conjuncture with another missing person's file in the hopes of solving the mysteries once and for all, for all of them.

When a nurse was doing another routine check of Neal's vitals, Peter waited until she'd finished before asking his question. "What would it take to do a DNA test?"

Pausing, she wasn't sure what his objective was but she answered the question. "Is this a test you would like to have run on you?"

Nodding, Peter's eyes drifted over to Neal. "Yes, and my consultant there. Based on what he was saying when he started to react to the poison, he could be my brother. He said no one ever came for him, but we've been looking for more than twenty years. If they are the same person, I would like to confirm it and find out why our search didn't cross over with his discovery."

Understanding, the nurse said she'd speak to the doctor, but that forms and consent would be required if he authorized it.

"I'm his handler. As such, I have the legal authority to authorize it on his behalf. This way, if he isn't my brother, then only one of us has to be disappointed." Peter had the documentation on hand and passed it to the nurse.

The nurse left and Peter began working on other avenues.

Pulling out his phone, he dialed the number from memory. 'Hello, I'd like to speak to Jacob Thorne. I've got a lead on the Burke case."

Listening to the ringing, it only took a moment for the man to pick up. "Hello, Peter. I hear you have a lead on your brother's case?"

Smiling into the phone, Peter knew he couldn't ask for a better ally on this. The man had been working with them and tolerating their regular calls from Peter and his parents for twenty plus years. "Yes. He matches my brother's description, was estimated to be a few years older which is relative, but was found approximately thirty-six hours after the accident on a riverbank. I know not to get my hopes up, but they're already there. Neal is my consultant so I've known him for some time now, but he never talks about his family. Yesterday he talked about his past for the first time and now I have to know. One way or the other, this needs to be resolved."

"Why haven't you asked him?" Jacob asked the obvious question.

"I can't. He'd been poisoned during our operation and although he's survived so far, he's in a coma. The medical staff is reviewing the possibility of doing a DNA test, so I figured I might as well work on the research in the meanwhile. Neal, he thinks he was abandoned after a failed attempt at murder. Is it possible for something to have happened, where the wires didn't cross for us to hear of his discovery or for him to learn of his disappearance?" Peter was pacing the length of the room in agitated excitement.

"There shouldn't be any reason, but then again, we didn't have today's computers and technological reliability back then. Give me what you've got and I'll see what I can find." Jacob was realistically reserved, a professional requirement, but he always managed to inject just the slightest hint of optimism. That even if hope seemed lost, that it just meant there was something else waiting to be found until the story was complete.

Giving Neal's description, the date he claimed to have been found, his condition at the time, and some basic information based on his general records, Peter hoped it was enough to find the solution. Thanking the man, he ended the call hoping something would turn up good news.

On a whim, he then hit a familiar speed dial. "Jones, I've got a job for you and Diana."

When both agents were sitting on speakerphone, he listed what he wanted. "Remember when Neal gave his story about being found on the river bank, he described his injuries, the date, and that no one ever came for him? I want to know the medical records that match a kid found on that date in that condition and what happened to him. If I'm right, I know who Neal is and I've got other avenues going, but the more information that can be found the more likely the whole story can be built for him and his family. They've been looking for him for over twenty years, so unless there's something wrong, I can't fathom why this wasn't resolved decades ago." Peter knew it was going to be daunting, but if anyone could pull it off, they were going to be the best shot.

"You think he's him?" Hughes' voice piped in.

"I do. He has the same description, was found thirty-six hours after the accident, his amnesia explains why he didn't remember to find his family, and no one came for him. What I don't know is why the lines didn't cross with an investigation into a found boy assumed to be a survivor of attempted murder and a lost boy from a car accident into the river. Thorne is researching, but I'd appreciate it if you'd poke around into the local precinct that found him." Peter knew his boss was the only member of the team aware of his family's tragedy. It was a sore spot for Peter and not something he readily talked about.

"Will do. If nothing else, we can put this under further investigation into an active CI for the purpose of reforming him." Hughes promised while putting his approval on the research. "But I have to warn you, Peter, there's always the chance that he isn't him. I know I don't have to say it, but don't get your hopes up too high."

Sighing, Peter knew Hughes would do everything he could for him as this was the best lead anyone had ever had. However, the advice to be careful was to be expected. "Thorne advised that too, but it's too late. He has to be him; this is the only real solid lead we've ever had. It can't be a coincidence."

"It can be a coincidence. Remember that, Peter." Hughes warned more sternly before wrapping up the call.

With the work done, Peter knew he didn't have anything else to occupy him until he could put the DNA test into motion or received the results from the other investigations.

Pausing in his pacing, he turned to look at Neal. The man lay pale in his hospital gown with the tubes running in and out of his body. A ventilator was breathing for him while the machines gently hummed along with the steady beep of the heart monitor. He was alive, but his body was weak after fighting the poison and then the effects of the cure.

Sighing again, Peter ran his hand through his hair. It always seemed ironic to him how one poison was often contradicted by another poison. Neal had risked death to live.

Walking back over to his bedside, he took his seat and patted his friend's hand. "I don't know if you're my brother, but I hope you are. My best friend would become family, and we could both have happy resolutions to our mysteries."

The nurse returned with the doctor and they discussed Neal's condition before the doctor laid out his stipulations for allowing the DNA test.

Agreeing with the arrangement, Peter knew it would be another day or two before Neal's statistics would be stable enough, but for Neal's sake, another day or two wouldn't make much difference.

After the doctor left, Peter settled back into his bedside vigilance. Moving between working case files, crossword puzzles, and the sports page, he kept himself occupied while he waited for Neal to wake up or the next phase in his investigation.


	2. And Found

*******

It was a week before Neal woke up. At first, he only opened his eyes and glanced at Peter blinking slowly before he went back to sleep.

Not getting time to say anything more than a general greeting, it was enough to make Peter smile happily to have seen his friend's improving condition as he recovered.

Patting Neal's shoulder, Peter stepped out into the hallway and walked down to the cafeteria for a break.

He'd spent the entire week living in the hospital room during visiting hours. Peter knew the entire department nursing staff by name, was on a first-name basis with Neal's doctor, and they all knew who he was. It was all a testament to how dedicated he was to his friend.

Rubbing a hand down his face as he observed the menu for the day, Peter smiled at a passing nurse as she moved to get her meal.

"Have you heard back on the DNA test yet?" She quarried. Many of the staff were hopeful that the men would turn out to be brothers, but they were all waiting for the results to be processed.

"No, the doctor said it could take up to a week so it might be a few more days," Peter answered. He knew the staff was also curious as they were the most interesting case on the floor. How often did you have an amnesiac consultant from the FBI who had been injured in the field and his possible brother of a boss hanging around?

Wishing him luck, the nurse had a time limit to adhere to and soon moved off to get her meal.

Making a decision, Peter chose his meal, got a cup of coffee, and found a table to eat at. Working through the sandwich, it wasn't as good as Deviled Ham, but it was sufficient to satiate his hunger.

When his meal was completed, Peter was walking back towards Neal's room when he got a call from Thorne. "Hello Jacob, what have you got?"

"You're on a good track with this kid. He was found down the river in Connecticut thirty-six hours after the accident. His description matches your brother, and the image looks similar although not the best quality to be certain. According to the records, he was dubbed Bryce Larkin and was raised by an Ellen Parker, a retired cop who had suffered injuries on a bust a few years prior. I've got the paperwork in the mail for you along with my records per your request. If that DNA test proves he's your brother, you'll have proof that he was looked for. Has that boss of yours found anything into why the precinct didn't have his report digitized with the rest of their records?" Thorne provided what he'd found while moving onto the big question.

"Thanks. My team found some information about Bryce too so once we get the picture put together, we'll have it all sorted into his story. As for why his record wasn't digitized, Hughes called in a bunch of favors and got it pushed for a thorough research into what happened. They found his case in the bottom of the file cabinet messed up from years of being run over by the drawer. It caused the drawer to stick and since we'd had an investigation into an agent hiding evidence that way once he had precedence to send them looking there. Whoever did it, someone intentionally jammed it over the guard and down the back to ensure it wouldn't be found for as long as possible while not actually destroying it as it would likely come up someday." Peter's voice dropped into an angry tone. Someone had hurt his friend by intentionally losing his file to prevent him from finding his family and from his family finding him.

"It sounds like there's going to be an investigation into the situation. I'll leave that to those in the position to handle it, but it's good to know why his family wasn't found and why we were unable to find him if he is your brother." Thorne paused for a moment still absorbing what that meant. "After twenty years, I really hope he's your brother, for all of your sakes."

'Me too. By the way, I haven't told my parents or Neal. He's only barely woken up, but I don't want to get anyone else's hopes up until I have confirmation. So if you hear from my parents, please don't tell them yet." Peter tacked on the request. He'd hate for his parents to get excited only to dash their hopes if Neal turned out not to be his brother. Like Hughes had warned, it could be a coincidence, but until proven otherwise, Peter was certain it wasn't.

With Thorne's promise to keep the secret until it could be verified one way or another, they ended the call and Peter returned to Neal's room. It would probably be a while before he'd wake up again, but he wanted to be there when he did.

*******

Waiting while Neal slept, Peter was surprised to get called into the hallway by the doctor. Following him into a back area where the man had him pull up a seat in front of a desk; the doctor said it was an office space used for private meetings with patient families.

"The results are in on the DNA test." He slid a yellow unopened envelope with a label identifying it as their information across the desk.

Picking it up with shaking hands, Peter was as nervous as he was excited. "I hope it's a positive match, but I'm also scared. What if he isn't my brother? We've looked for twenty years and my worst nightmare is that he died in that river. If this isn't a match, then Neal and I might both have to face our worst nightmares."

The doctor waited patiently providing a form of silent comfort.

Taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself, Peter opened the envelope and slid the papers out over the smooth surface. There was a lot of writing and charts, but what they meant was unclear as of yet.

"Would you like me to read it?" The doctor offered.

Too emotional, Peter slid the pile to the doctor in a silent request despite regretting it while he waited for the doctor to skim through the data looking for the answer. What did it say?

Smiling, the doctor passed him the important piece of paper, the one containing the answer. Sliding it across the desk with his finger pointing at the line, the doctor let Peter read it for himself.

"Positive for both maternal and paternal markers… he is my brother!" Peter couldn't keep the tears at bay and had a minor break down right then and there. For twenty years he'd blamed himself for his failures that night, feared what might have happened to his brother, and was terrified that he was lost under the currents never to be seen again.

Offering his congratulations, the doctor waited through the worst of the emotions before offering to get someone or to make a call.

"No, no, I'm fine, it's just… I had a hold of him when we got out of the car, but by the time I reached the shore, he was gone. For all of these years…" Peter worked to calm himself. He still had to face Neal and would need to make several phone calls confirming his discovery. His brother was alive after all!

Thanking the doctor, Peter was told to take as long as he needed while the man returned to his work.

Pulling out his phone, Peter fidgeted with it contemplating who to call first. Deciding on his wife, he knew she would appreciate the update but would encourage him to notify his parents as soon as possible.

Hitting her speed dial, he waited while the phone rang and the voicemail came through. She must be in a meeting. Leaving a quick message, he let her know that the DNA test came back positive and he was about to call his parents, he'd talk to her later.

Skimming to his father's contact, he waited while the phone rang. Since his parents were retired, he hoped to catch them both at home where it would be easy to talk to them both simultaneously. When the line picked up, he was relieved to hear his father talking to his mother before answering. "Hello, Peter is everything okay?" It wasn't a typical time for him to call so he knew his parents would be worried.

"Everything is more than alright. Is mom there? What are you doing?" Peter tried to gauge if he needed to have them adjust their activities or if he only had to be put on speaker.

"We're just watching a game while she's doing some sewing. Is there something you need to tell us?" The sound of the game being turned off and the phone turning to speaker could be heard.

"Yes, I found him! Andy, he's alive and has been my consultant for the last few years, but he doesn't remember us due to amnesia." Peter rushed into the story before his parents could interrupt him.

"Are you sure?" His mom's wavering voice came through the line.

"I have the DNA confirmation right in front of me." Peter was pleased he'd taken the precaution to confirm first before making this call.

"Didn't you say earlier this week that your consultant had been poisoned, is he alright or is this a different consultant?" His father moved to the facts while he tried to process his emotions.

Knowing they weren't going to like it, Peter explained the basics of what had happened. "He's awake now though, well, I mean he's asleep at the moment but he's no longer in a coma."

"Do you know when we can see him?" His mother leaped to the desire to see her son for the first time in decades.

Sighing, Peter knew this would be a great conversation, but also difficult. "No, I don't, mom. I'd like to wait until he's strong enough to leave the hospital and then I have all the evidence at home to fill him in on what happened. But if he'll be ready to meet you quickly or slowly, I have no idea."

Knowing the wisdom of his approach, his parents were greatly relieved to know their son was alive and were eager to meet him when he was ready, but they had to force themselves to be patient.

Sharing what he knew of his brother's current life and childhood, Peter smiled as he remembered something special. "He chose the name Bryce Larkin and it's the name he grew up under. Do you remember where that came from?"

Sounding like she was crying through her laughter, his mother reiterated the story of the time the boy had come up with his code name. "He was obsessed with 007 through those years and liked to play that game, what was it called?"

"Gotcha is what we called it, but it's been called Assassin too." Peter smiled into the phone as he reminisced through those fond memories of when his brother remembered him and they spent so much time together.

"Is he the same?" His father asked. "Are you two still close?"

"No, he's Neal Caffrey more than Andrew Burke. He loves art and wears cartoonish suits from the rat pack era and he spends a lot of time trying to dodge work if it isn't interesting. There have been stories of personality changes due to severe head injuries, and it sounds like he took a beating as he was washed downstream. Otherwise, yeah, we're pretty close. He's the smartest guy I know and he's fun to work and hang out with." Peter knew he was close to Neal, but he couldn't help but realize that he wasn't as close to him as he'd been when they were growing up. They had secrets and which side of the law they were on to separate them as adults.

"Maybe some of that will change, but whether or not that happens doesn't matter. He's still our boy no matter who he is." His mother wasn't going to let anything separate them again if she could help it.

Glad to hear their acceptance, Peter was able to unwind and enjoy the rest of the conversation.

When they disconnected, he placed another call to Thorne and then Hughes before he made his way back to Neal's room. Entering, he was grateful to find Neal awake.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Peter opened the conversation, but he couldn't stop staring. Neal was his brother; the feeling of excited relief hit him again now that he was looking at the man.

"Better. I think each nap carries me closer to getting out of here. What's up with you?" Neal's voice was soft but it carried in the quiet room.

"Later, it's a long story that gets pretty involved so this isn't the best setting." Peter delayed telling him. He wanted Neal to be stable and healthier to handle the news and the evidence. For that, it would be best to haul him home with him and sit him on the couch to run through it. That was at least a few days away so Peter evaded the topic.

Neal looked at him curiously, but he didn't push. "How's the case doing?"

Taking the familiar route, Peter got comfortable in his seat and caught Neal up on the office and what he'd missed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, following, leaving kudos, choosing to favorite, and reviewing/commenting :D


	3. Anxiety and Relief

*******

When it was time to leave the hospital, Neal was nervous. He'd opened up and revealed something of his story while the poison was first showing itself which meant Peter and the team had nearly two weeks to research and poke into his past. Was it possible that Peter had found something? If anyone could, the archeologist was the most likely person to succeed. However, would that be good news or bad? Being so used to the perspective that it was likely a failed attempt at murder before he was abandoned, Neal wasn't sure if he wanted to know the truth. Sometimes the mystery and potential hope were better than fact.

Sitting on the bed worrying while Peter helped with the paperwork to sign him out, Neal had nothing else to do as the tracker was already gracing his ankle, he had his bag of toiletries and clothes fully packed on the bed beside him, and he was required to wait for Peter and the nurse to return for his official release.

Hearing two familiar voices approaching, Neal knew Peter and the nurse were bringing the mandatory wheelchair to transport him out of the place.

"Are you ready to go?" The nurse cheerily asked as she walked in pushing the expected wheelchair with Peter following along behind.

"Definitely, I was hospitalized for a while as a child along with a few other times, and although this has been as good as it can be, I've had some rough experiences in the past with hospitals." It was more truth for Peter, but it was mostly an explanation for the nurse and other staff for why he wasn't as cheerful in return. He didn't have anything against them; it was just the hospital atmosphere in general that unnerved him.

Understanding, the nurse had him take his seat in the wheelchair while Peter picked up the bag and double-checked that nothing was being left behind.

Then strolling through the hospital, they made friendly conversation before Peter moved ahead near the exit to get his car moved to the curb.

Shifting Neal from the wheelchair to the car, the nurse then bid them goodbye and returned to her work taking the chair with her.

Driving off, Peter headed for home. Although Neal was feeling better, he still sat back and quietly watched the traffic flow. He was afraid of what Peter would have to share with him when they arrived at the Burke residence.

*******

Pulling up, Neal allowed Peter to grab his bag and help him out before walking by his side slowly for the door. Entering the house, Neal asked how Elizabeth's event was proceeding.

"The last time she texted it was going smoothly as predicted. However, that also means it could go on later into the night so she doesn't know if she'll be back before we fall asleep or not. Satchmo is with the neighbors right now so we don't have to walk him until he comes home in the morning." Peter generally explained while he slowly walked at Neal's pace into the living room.

Slowing to a stop, Neal realized that the coffee table was covered in things. There were two boxes, folders, papers, and a jacket strewn across the space. Something about the jacket scared Neal. Maybe it was the size being small for a child or maybe it triggered some kind of memory, but before he could understand why, he turned and was going to flee.

However, Peter was prepared and moved to throw his arms around Neal before pulling him back into his chest.

Fighting slightly, Neal tried to pull away but he was unable to break Peter's grip. "How could you?" His voice wavered and the tears misted in his eyes.

Whispering in his ear, Peter calmly tried to soothe him. "Do you trust me to protect you?"

Losing the fight, Neal sagged into him and closed his eyes before nodding ever so slightly. "Yes," he whispered while fighting to keep the tears from falling.

Slowly easing his grip, Peter shifted one hand at a time until he could turn Neal around and hug him while not giving him the chance to run. "I've been through all of the information. You need this." Then squeezing him close for a moment, he shifted to have one arm slung across Neal's shoulder.

Guiding him over to the couch, Peter had Neal sit down before handing him the first folder. "This is a copy of your missing person file from the Connecticut police department that processed your discovery. Open it, tell me what you notice."

Opening it as instructed, Neal started skimming through the general data. He knew what his information was in basic detail, but it was interesting to see the more specific records. Getting through it, he then sat it to the side of the table. "The pages look like they've been damaged. What happened?"

"Your file was pushed over the guard and dropped down the back of the file cabinet where it was repeatedly run over by the bottom drawer for twenty years. Because it was lost early on and never digitized, it was never found by the Northern department processing your missing person file either through the paper form or later in digital matches." Squeezing Neal's shoulder from the side, Peter leaned into him. "Someone prevented you from going home. Your family has been looking for you for more than twenty years."

Grateful for Peter's presence, Neal accepted the box he passed him and started looking through the evidence indicating effort placed to find a missing person file number. There was a lot for him to go through!

After a while, Peter left him to keep flipping through the data while he went and got them some lunch. Then he patiently sat by as Neal continued to flip through the copies of the records while he ate his sandwich.

Eventually, Neal set it aside. "They've been calling regularly by turn to ensure my case didn't go cold?"

"The officer who's processed your case his entire career and your family are on very familiar terms. Nothing that could help solve your case passed without being tried, and the case most certainly wasn't allowed to go cold." Peter reassured him before passing him the next file. "Here, you should know what happened to put you in the river in the first place."

Taking it, Neal started reading through the report. According to the records, his family and he had been driving to visit family and were on their way home. Coming around a curve in the back highway, they passed a bunch of trees before it opened up to a herd of deer blocking the road. Swerving to avoid causing too much damage, they went off the road for a bumpy out of control ride that landed them in the river. There, the family exited the car and made their way for the safety of the bank. His parents arrived easily enough while his brother had been pulling him along. However, when his brother reached the shore, he was only holding his jacket; he, Neal, was nowhere to be found.

Glancing up at the jacket lying on the table, Neal wondered if it had been his. For the first time, he felt the fear and distress his family must have felt at discovering his loss. How would he have felt if the tables had turned, if he had lost his brother? What if Peter was his brother and disappeared? Shivering, Neal didn't like the idea.

"This was what happened next," Peter passed Neal another file progressing him through the story.

Going through the pages, Neal started to realize that it was medical records for his older brother.

Reading through the reports and resulting symptoms, he realized that his brother had been devastated by his disappearance. When his brother found himself coming up in the shallows with nothing but the jacket, he had tried to search about for him until their parents pulled him from the water to prevent him from being swept away as well. Screaming at the dark waters, his brother refused to give up. Eventually, though, his brother was forced to face the reality that he was lost. Slipping into a catatonic state, he had shut down for weeks before slowly pulling his life together into a new semblance of normal. However, he wasn't the same and seemed to have lost a piece of himself that night too.

Putting the folder down, Neal's eyes were misting over again. "I had hoped my brother might be you, but, I don't want anyone to go through something as painful as that."

Leaning Neal into his side, Peter gave him the comfort of his proximity. "You've always been loved and missed. There was no attempted murder, no abandonment. When you're ready, your family is eager to meet you."

"Who am I anyway? These files haven't had my name. Either there are references to relationships or file numbers." Neal wondered after a while.

"Look at the copy of your birth certificate." Peter leaned further forwards to grab the document in question from the bottom of the pile.

"Andrew Benjamin Burke," Neal fingered the name as his real identity was placed before him for the first time since before he'd lost his memory. "You are family, aren't you?"

"I'm the brother that failed to keep a hold of you in the river." Peter identified himself as he leaned back pulling Neal to lean against his side as he came to terms.

Sharing his perspective, Peter talked while Neal stared at his birth certificate in the growing shadows.

"I'm older than you, so I was a young teenager when the accident happened. It was so fast. One minute we were relaxing and enjoying the ride as you were falling asleep on my shoulder. Then dad slammed the breaks trying to slow down before hitting the herd of deer, but he had to swerve as they were scattering due to the trees. We were taking a different route than we normally did so we didn't know about the river until we fell down the embankment into it. Mom and dad had their windows open so they were able to swim out easily, but it was a battle to get my door open with dad's help. I had a fistful of your jacket and drug you along with me. Following dad to the shore, I was moving into an area shallow enough for me to stand so I lifted your jacket thinking you were still in it and would need air. However, your jacket was soaked and the weight being pulled by the current covered your disappearance. I panicked! As you read in the file, I screamed myself hoarse and thrashed around until I was stumbling and mom and dad pulled me out. When we had to realize that you weren't there, I couldn't fathom it. Why hadn't I kept a better hold through to your shirt, or why I hadn't I grabbed your belt or something more solidly on you? What would it be like not having you around as we'd always been close? How would mom and dad forgive me, especially since I couldn't forgive myself? It took weeks for them to get through to me that it wasn't my fault. Ever since then, it's been my worst nightmare that you'd died. Even into recent times, I've woken up in sheer panic imagining that the river had run dry and your bones were discovered in a half-filled sinkhole. The worst part of it all was not knowing what had happened to you and having room to fear the worst-case scenarios despite all of the effort invested in finding you." Peter leaned his head into Neal's enjoying his proximity while he relived the worst memories of his childhood, if not his life.

Unable to take the welling emotions anymore, Neal shifted away from Peter and felt the agent loosen his grip while turning to observe what he was doing. Tossing the document onto the coffee table, Neal turned to bury his face into his brother's shoulder. Grabbing a fistful of his shirt in each hand, Neal had one hand resting over Peter's heart while his other clung to his side. He was overwhelmed by the feelings of fear and sorrow while also swimming in hope and the affection he could feel as Peter put one arm around him while holding the hand over his heart and leaning his head against his.

At one point, Neal even felt Peter kiss his head and heard him whisper, "You've always been loved and missed, Neal, remember that." Then Peter rubbed his back comfortingly between hugging him close, also relishing in his presence after so many years of fearing his demise in that river.

Crying, Neal gave release to so many emotions and pains that he'd been carrying alone for so long. The more he released, the more fought its way to escape until he felt exhausted and found himself drifting off to sleep in the comfort of his brother's embrace.

*******

Waking up from his own nightmare of a riverbed and bones, Peter heard mutters in his ear as Neal talked in his sleep. "It's too good, it must be a dream."

Kissing his head, Peter tightened the grip that had gone slack in slumber trying to comfort his brother. "This isn't a dream buddy, we're brothers, and I'm not going anywhere."

Repeating comforting words and rubbing Neal's back, Peter got through enough for Neal to calm down and quiet back into a peaceful slumber.

Smiling as he knew he was helping, Peter felt better than he had in decades.

Where it was a comfort for Neal to know his dream was the reality, Peter was grateful that his nightmare was only a dream after all.

He'd had the nightmare many times over the years but it had been torturing him often in the recent weeks. Ever since Neal had talked about waking up on a riverbank, Peter's mind had drifted back to those old terrors nearly every night and then kept him awake unable to go back to sleep for fear of the dream reoccurring. For the first time though, he knew he could get back to sleep after this round, because his brother was alive and safe by his side.

Giving his brother another hug, Peter relished the knowledge that the kid was with him again and relaxed back into the couch. Drifting off, he didn't fear sinkholes and only thought of the man his brother had become.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, leaving kudos, reviewing/commenting, and choosing to favorite :D


	4. Consequences

*******

In the morning, Peter woke up to realize that Neal had fallen off of his shoulder and was leaning across his chest to where his head was resting against his opposite arm. Using both arms to hug his brother to him, Peter couldn't help but smile when he looked up to find his wife sitting at the table sipping coffee and watching. Moving his head lightly, he indicated for her to come join him on his other side.

Complying, she joined him and then carefully kissed his cheek before leaning into his side and running her fingers lightly through Neal's hair in a comforting motion.

Whispering, Peter had one phrase he wanted to say. "Life has never been this good." Then he leaned his head onto hers as she rested there with him.

"Neither of us is going anywhere." She whispered back.

Shifting slightly, Neal slowly started to wake. A few minutes later and he leaned up before moving back into a sitting position in his own space. Rubbing his face and his eyes, Neal yawned before giving his head a little shake to send the final remnants of sleep away.

Chuckling at the slightly confused look on Neal's face, Peter smiled. "Good morning, little brother." It wasn't normal for Neal and him to fall asleep together on the couch, but their family bond changed the foundation of their relationship.

Blinking, Neal seemed to still be getting used to that as he caught up to the memories from the day before. "Morning. Hi, El."

Amused, Peter could hear El giggling slightly beside him. "Morning, sleepyhead," she teased Neal before reaching across Peter to tussle his messed up hair.

Ducking his head, Neal was smiling softly when he looked back up at them. "This is going to take some getting used to, but I like it."

"We aren't going anywhere, buddy," Peter reassured him while stretching his arm across the back of the couch. "Like I said last night, mom and dad want to see you, but they're willing to wait until you're ready… as long as you don't make them wait too long. It's been more than two decades that we've all been worrying about you. This is going to take some getting used to for all of us, but we're just glad to know you're alive and generally okay despite the missing memories." With a pat on the shoulder, Peter conveyed his affection.

"How about you go clean up and Peter will help me get some breakfast started. Then you can help me finish while he goes and gets his shower?" Elizabeth set forth her deal for a family breakfast.

"Deal, I'm a better cook than my brother is anyway." Neal grinned slightly before dodging off to get cleaned up and to get away before Peter could react to the teasing jab.

Frozen, Peter was too pleased to hear the reference to them being brothers to care about the tease. He wasn't a gourmet cook like Neal, so he didn't care about the comment, and he was relishing in the brotherly banter.

Turning when El kissed his cheek and ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, he asked "What?"

"You, I've never seen you quite this relaxed and happy. I guess I didn't realize how much not knowing what had happened to him weighted on you." Elizabeth took his arm through hers and settled into his side for a few minutes to talk and catch up on what had transpired while she was gone the day before.

"I remember that date we had. You took me for a walk and we were watching the sunset when we ended up on the shore of the river along the boardwalks. The view was gorgeous as the clouds took on the light and the horizon was on fire with glowing tendrils shining through the billowing storm up to stretch across the sky. Reflecting it, the water was awash in color and I couldn't take my eyes off of it. Then when the sunset burned down and the stars were starting to show on the other horizon, I noticed that you seemed to be missing the beauty. Your attention was elsewhere as you seemed lost in the rippling current. When you sat me on the bench to talk, I worried what was on your mind, but I wasn't expecting for you to regale me with what had happened when you were a kid, how a car accident had landed you in a river and your brother was lost. I knew it had to hurt, I can't imagine losing my sister like that, but it wasn't something you talked about other than that one time." Sighing, she tried to summon her perspective into words. "I guess, I thought it was a pain more healed, but then it never had the chance to heal, did it?" She shifted away to look at him.

Kissing her cheek, Peter put his freed arm around her hugging her back into his side. "No, it was too painful to talk about, that only made it rawer so it had long ago been shelved. It was easier to try and to put it aside, to put my loss somewhere where it wouldn't affect my daily life as much because I couldn't do anything more about it, but I couldn't ever put it away either. I told you because I wanted you to know, to be aware of my most painful past, but I didn't want to talk about it any more than necessary. Then a few weeks ago, Neal started talking about being found on the side of a riverbank with total amnesia."

Laughing lightly, he couldn't believe it had taken him so long to figure it out now that he knew. "I noticed right off that his hair and eye color matched my brother's, and there was something of a connection between us even early on. But that was all coincidental, right? He couldn't possibly have been lost in a river; he was just someone who had similar appearances that I got along with. When I heard his story though, I grabbed on with both hands and had to learn more. It was too much of a coincidence then. Slowly, his story came out, and then finally the DNA test came back and we had solid proof. For the first time, what happened to him was no longer so mysterious. I still have no idea what drove him to be Neal Caffrey or most of what he got up to during those years I chased him, but still, he's not so mysterious anymore."

Kissing him, Elizabeth smiled as she put her arms around his neck to hug him. "I'm glad for you. Your best friend turned out to be your long lost brother. Now instead of worrying about what happened to him, you can reinvest that energy into getting to know him and more of who he became."

Enjoying their mutual embrace for a few more moments, they were interrupted by Peter's stomach growling. Chuckling, he kissed her head before pulling back to move towards the kitchen. "We were so busy going through the details that we didn't get dinner last night."

Getting up to follow him, Elizabeth could easily understand considering their total absorption when they weren't the subject of the case. "How did he take the news, that he is actually Andy?"

Working together to begin setting the table and pulling various food things from the cupboards and fridge, they continued to talk.

"Pretty well, I think it's what he hoped for most once I started walking him through the details. Then again, maybe, maybe he sensed something of our bond too and didn't know just how deep it went since he doesn't remember what happened to put him in the river in the first place." Peter wondered if Neal had been drawn to him as surely as he had been to Neal for the same reason.

Starting to put the food together, Elizabeth asked a random question that crossed her mind. "I wonder if he would have become Neal Caffrey the con if the accident hadn't happened."

"Probably not, what put me on this specific path happened as a result of the accident, but then again, we'll never know for sure. The reason exists beyond me, so maybe I would have landed in the same place through a different means. It's hard to answer that one." Neal came around the corner from the hallway at that time.

Glancing over, Peter noticed that he had slacks on and a clean black sweater. It was fairly casual and comfortable, but it also befit the smooth con man.

"The reason exists beyond you?" Peter wondered if Neal would explain some.

Neal didn't seem so inclined. "It's a long story that I don't have the means or intent to go into at this time. Maybe, someday, though." With a shrug, he asked El how he could help her get the meal on.

Finishing his task of setting the table, Peter took off upstairs to take his own shower and clean up.

*******

Moving around the kitchen, Neal knew he was going to need to establish a working relationship with his sister-in-law. Stopping in his tracks, he hadn't thought about that. "You know, I have a sister." He turned to smile at her with what probably looked like wonder on his face.

Getting a misty smile, Elizabeth moved to kiss his cheek. "And I finally get to meet my brother."

"I haven't had siblings in my remembered life. Ellen taught me or I figured it out myself growing up after the accident. Now it's kind of like two for one adoption. Suddenly I'm one of three, and the youngest to boot." He kind of laughed.

"How does that feel? I mean, it seems like it might be liberating and intimidating all at once." Elizabeth was genuinely curious as she put together her portion of the meal.

"In a way, and yet not really, I've known you and Peter for some time now so I'm comfortable being here and helping you cook. However, I get the feeling that my actions are going to get a lot more criticism in the future while my past is going to be an even more intriguing puzzle to be sleuthed out." Neal knew that could create complications as there were things he couldn't share, but at least his secrets weren't bad things, just secret things.

"I'm glad you feel comfortable with us. If you don't spend time with us, we'll just have to move into your loft from time to time for dinner and movies or something. As for sleuthing out your secrets, I'll leave that to the archeologist upstairs. Being your brother and handler means he'll definitely be interested." Elizabeth agreed while she worked.

Pausing, Neal turned to her. "Maybe you'll have to do that sometime. The loft isn't big, but it's sufficient to accommodate you and Peter for dinner and entertainment. And don't worry about the archeologist; I know how to handle that kind of behavior so I can take care of myself if he gets to be too exuberant."

Throwing ideas around in his head, Neal decided that he should have them over. "You know, we should make it a sleepover. Satchmo could hang out with Bugsy and I could pull some of my things out of storage. It may not be your style, but I'm sure Peter would find it interesting, the entertainment I mean. Oh, maybe do gourmet finger food with some of Peter's favorites mixed in, a favorite past time that I don't indulge in here, but it's something that helped shape certain aspects of my life, and then mattresses on the floor with the skylight and glass wall view of the city lights."

Imagining it, Elizabeth felt as excited for it as Neal was. "Give me a date and I'll make sure Peter comes, but I don't think I'll have to drag him at all."

"Nope, it sounds like it would be fun." Peter came around the corner. "I'm especially curious what this past time you don't indulge in would be."

"I guess you'll have to come to find out," Neal tossed a towel at him.

Enjoying the comradery, they finished their preparation before shifting to the table and sitting around to eat.

*******

Gathering Satchmo from the neighbors, Peter was going to take him for a walk and invited Neal to go along with him.

Walking along together, the brothers were enjoying the general companionship of each other's company while they went about the normal task. They talked when they wanted to and walked along quietly when they were lost in thought.

"What is going to happen in the office?" Neal started to wonder. He was no longer as mystified by his situation and was moving on to the changes.

"Jones and Diana helped investigate into your information so they know your Bryce Larkin identity has been discovered and that I knew enough to make the connection, but otherwise, Hughes is the only one who knows the information at this point. He's been handling the paperwork. You're still going to be my consultant as the bosses think it will help with reforming you. Your name and identity haven't been officially announced as it's waiting for you to be in the office, but the team will know something is different." Peter explained the general information in relation to the office.

"Has anyone investigated why my papers were hidden?" Neal's tone had a reservation that Peter didn't understand.

"Yes, Hughes has been looking into that as well. It's a clear indicator that something was going on in the precinct that shouldn't have been. He's been pulling favors and working to start up an official investigation." Peter didn't have the details as their boss was handling the situation, but he was glad it was being dealt with.

Sighing, Neal surprised him with his reaction. "That isn't good news Peter, they've already been under official investigation and this could push them over the edge."

Turning in surprise, Peter was paying more attention to Neal for a few moments trying to see if he could gather any information from his serious expression to explain his mysterious statement.

Then Peter heard the squeal of tires screeching to a halt behind him while doors were thrown back with a loud clatter and a group of people leaped out making soft noises in their scramble. Feeling a bite in his neck, his hand automatically came up to slap a bug away only to hit a dart. As the world turned blurry, he saw another sticking out of Neal's neck only to be followed by another while there was a sting in his back, likely another dart placed to knock him out faster. Collapsing towards the ground, Peter heard Satchmo barking and hoped they'd spare his dog and leave him tied to a fence or something. If they cut Neal's anklet there, help would come for them all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, following, reviewing/commenting, leaving kudos, and choosing to favorite my stories and I :D


	5. Revenge

*******

Waking up in a moving vehicle, Neal knew the corrupt officers weren't going to make it easy for rescuers to find them. They had plans for revenge that they felt the need to carry out.

His attackers had remained under the radar until he'd overheard them discussing their operations the day they found him on the riverbank. Then they'd sabotaged his chance to return home in fear that he'd be able to damage their efforts. Too bad, he was damaging their efforts every day now through the cases connected to Operation Caffrey. He might not have had friends growing up, but he had a brain and observation skills. Their activities and patterns were known to him early so he'd built a venerable web of their allies to take down with them. Now the additional and more direct investigation into their activities had pushed them into action.

Remembering that they had also taken his brother, Neal promised to make them regret it if they as much as hurt Peter. They'd stolen enough from him. He wasn't going to tolerate losing anything else.

Opening his eyes, Neal observed them as the corrupt officers were facing him in the rear of an enclosed van. Based on the atmosphere, he and Peter were sitting in the back of a generic commercial vehicle that would blend into general traffic easily. There were five of them excluding the driver. Their boss wasn't present, so Pratt must be having them do the cleanup job.

"Hello, it's been a while officers." Neal kept his voice level and business-like.

Peter was bound behind him and was propped up against his back. He was breathing and seemed to be at least semi-conscious.

"Do you think we haven't noticed your friends digging into our business? We've been handling operations for decades unnoticed and now you find your family and within no time we're under total investigation? The FBI is pulling strings to get everything we've ever done examined. Now they're going to find what we've been doing, but not before we take you out of the picture. You brat, we should have shoved you back into that river while we had the chance. No one would have known what happened." The leader stated.

"And don't think you're going to knock us all out with the training Parker gave you. We've got you bound and drugged. You couldn't hurt us even if we let you loose." Another said while giving him another dose of whatever was in the darts.

It had been wearing off, but as it got into his blood again, Neal could feel his control slipping.

"Night-y night, when you wake up, we'll be rectifying our mistake."

Neal felt himself slumping over and unfortunately carrying Peter to the floor with him.

*******

Coming too again as the vehicle rumbled to a stop, Peter was uncertain where they were. They'd been abducted by the officers from his brother's youth and based on their comments they were planning on revenge for causing the investigation that would ultimately bring their illegal activity to light.

Knowing that Neal was bound behind him, Peter couldn't help but note one of his brother's secrets. The officer who had raised him taught him to fight. Neal might be non-violent, but he was capable enough to make six officers come prepared.

"Now, for the fun part. We're already going down, but we're going to take you both out first." One of the men said as he moved to cut the rope that bound Peter to his brother.

As they pulled both men out of the van, Peter noticed that he was still under the influence of the drug as his mind was sluggish. He wanted to fight, knew his brother was in danger and his life was at risk, but he couldn't pull his mind together, let alone move his limbs.

Carried to stand on the top of a bridge, Peter suddenly went cold as he realized it was the same road and river they'd crashed into more than two decades before. When they said they wanted to rectify what they wanted to have happened, they meant that they wanted to throw Neal off of the bridge in an effort to murder him.

Groaning in horror, Peter couldn't annunciate his fears.

This time, he was standing on the bridge watching the waves as the water past below. It was still light, but the sun was dropping as he glanced over to see Neal's dazed expression. His brother's eyes had something of a focus to them, like he might be aware of what was happening but was as helpless as he was. Between the drug and their binds, what could they do?

As the men moved forward to carry Neal to the edge, they heard the sound of a car further up the road coming in their direction. Forced to speed up their plans, the men holding Neal lifted him up to balance on the rail guard.

Catching his brother's eyes, Peter had so many things he wanted to say, so many regrets of things they never got to experience.

Neal blinked seeming to take a breath in preparation, and then he was tipped over the edge to fall towards the waters below.

It seemed to happen a second later, and yet that second of aguish drug out as Peter's heart ached with the loss he knew he was experiencing with the following splash. He'd only just found his brother, and so soon, he was taken away again.

Shifting to haul Peter off of the road and down beneath the bridge, the men shuffled to avoid falling as they could hear the sound of the car drawing nearer.

Knowing the likelihood, that they would be random passersby who wouldn't know that murder was taking place around the very bridge they were passing over, Peter didn't have hope for help. The people in the coming car might comment on the sunset reflecting on the waters, but it wasn't likely that they would be the type of people to notice a car parked to the side of the road and investigate.

Taking him to the edge of the water, the men kicked Peter's knees out from under him forcing him to crash into the shallows.

That was when he realized they were going to get personal with him. They wanted to live a long-standing fantasy with Neal, but the FBI agent who started what became the investigation, they wanted to get their hands dirty with him.

"Excuse me?" A feminine voice caused the men to stop.

Managing to catch the woman in his peripheral, Peter noticed that she seemed to be wearing skinny jeans and a tank top showing her slim and feminine figure. Her hair was pulled out of her face into some kind of style and she was picking her way along like she was protecting her shoes from the mud. She didn't seem intimidating to six men and she certainly didn't seem to grasp what she was walking into.

Hearing a second loud splash, Peter hoped that someone had spotted his brother. Maybe there was hope for these random passersby?

"Um, excuse me?" The woman smiled timidly and seemed to be waiving slightly as she got closer. "You see, my husband and I decided to stop and take a picture of the sunset, but then we noticed that there were others here and we don't want to disturb you." Seeming to finally catch up to what was happening, she seemed like she was going to turn and walk away. "Never mind, I think we might want to find another place to view the sunset."

"Stop right there," one of the men pulled a gun. Directing her to move closer, they were uncertain what to do with her as bystanders hadn't been a part of their plan.

"I think I have an idea." A male voice came from behind them, but it wasn't one that Peter was familiar with.

"Are you her husband?" the officer seemed to be surprised which indicated that this was another stranger.

There was a gruff grunt and then the sound of a fist making contact hard enough for the receiver to spin to the ground.

"My husband is pulling Larkin out of the river. You're our problem." The woman's voice wasn't nice and timid anymore. It was colder and serious as she seemed to defeat her opponent with speed and relative ease.

As the fight escalated quickly, Peter didn't have long to realize that he needed to prepare before he was plunging face first into the water as the men let go and his system was still too drugged to support him.

Having gotten a breathe, Peter had a few moments to work on turning his body part of the way around before he received help on turning the rest of the way and was lifted to the surface for another breathe before he was dropped back into the water. Plunging under the current, he managed to fight the urge to breathe long enough for the person who had moved to stand over him to lift him up for air and drop him again. They worked out a pattern quickly. The man would lift him for air when he could, and in the meanwhile, Peter would slowly let his air out holding his breath as long as he could until the next chance to breathe. Although it was only a few minutes with the fight ending quickly, it wasn't easy to retain that perspective when his world had been reduced to water and air in the battle to breath.

When they'd subdued all six men, the man lifted Peter up by the shoulders and shifted to get a grip under his arms for carrying before the woman lifted his feet to help move him further up onto the bank.

Coughing up what water had gotten into his system, Peter was aware of them removing his binds and checking his eyes to see that he was still drugged.

Listening, Peter was more relieved to hear a ringtone and another voice come through the speaker of a phone the woman pulled from the back of her jeans, "We've got Larkin. He's hit his head good on some rocks and is coughing up a lot of water, but he's alive and breathing."

Sagging back to stare up at the sky, Peter closed his eyes briefly in relief. This time he wouldn't have to fear his brother's death in the river. He'd been pulled from the waves and was alive.

When he opened his eyes again, the woman was crouching down in front of him. "Bryce is alive. Although he's hurt, he'll be okay. The man doesn't go down that easily."

There was a snort from the big man behind her and he grumbled something, but she seemed to be ignoring him.

"I'm Sarah, this is Casey. My husband is Chuck while Morgan is with him helping to take care of Bryce. We've got New York aware that you're both alive and a helicopter is coming in to transport you to the nearest hospital. With Bryce's potential head injury, we want to get him checked out as soon as possible." She was trying to be comforting, but her straightforward words were more reassuring than her voice or how she remained in his line of sight.

Blinking, Peter tried to provide some acknowledgment that her words were heard, but other than a light grunt, he couldn't get a noise out.

"Don't worry, we can tell you were drugged. It would take something to take Bryce down. He's very protective. And now that he's found his family, he won't let anyone take you if he can help it." There was a certainty and strength to her words, but Peter could see the emotions as a mist formed in her eyes. "We've all known Bryce at some point or another, but none of us knew that he had amnesia or that he was missing from his family. Then again, he's always been good at compartmentalization and he wouldn't want to talk about it unless necessary."

She wasn't overly talkative, but at least she gave him a bit of information while talking on the phone where he could hear so that he knew the estimated time of arrival for the helicopter and what action was being taken for handling the officers responsible for their situation.

Hearing the loud disruption as the helicopter drew closer; Peter closed his eyes as the wind blew sending dust over him while the helicopter landed on the road above.

Everything was noise as medics moved past him to his brother while the two people with him moved to lift him up and helped to carry him up to the helicopter. Strapping him into a seat, they made sure he wasn't going to tilt out of position.

Throwing him a thumbs-up, the woman moved out of the way with the man to return to the officers below.

Shortly afterward the medics came up the slope carrying his brother on a stretcher with the help of two other men. One was short and seemed to be all hair while the other was tall with what looked like curly brown hair but it was matted to his head much like his clothes were plastered to his body from his swim to rescue Neal.

Once the medics were on the road and could roll the gurney, Peter's gaze caught the eyes of the man. Nodding, the man looked serious but hopeful.

Then as Neal was brought closer, Peter's eyes were on his brother. Neal was soaking wet with his clothes and hair plastered to him. He was breathing on his own, but there was blood around his head and one medic was watching closely to make sure they weren't jostling him too much while the other watched their path to get them to the helicopter.

Loading Neal, they placed him in the main space and the medics moved into position to keep an eye on him while also being mindful of Peter for the duration of the flight.

Peter's injuries weren't severe. They just needed to make sure the drug and his brief time in the water didn't cause any illness or side effects.

Neal though…. His head injury could pose a problem. He was hard-headed and stubborn, always had been, but sometimes that wasn't enough.

Worried, Peter wondered what Neal's condition was, but there wasn't much of a way to talk over the noise of the helicopter and although he caught snippets of the medics' reports as they called ahead, he didn't entirely understand it all.

Arriving at their destination, the helicopter moved to land and the noise took on a new tone.

There were people around as Neal was moved ahead first to disappear into the doors leading down to the emergency room.

Then the second group of people was there to help Peter off of his seat and move him to a gurney of his own for transport down. Closing his eyes, he wasn't interested in the dull passages that lead to the destination and he couldn't talk to answer the questions that were thrown at him so he chose to relax as best he could.

*******

Dozing off once he was settled in his own room, Peter was still waiting for word of how his brother was doing, but he might as well let his body get some rest in the meanwhile.

Hearing the door open softly, he opened his eyes and looked to see his wife was standing with a nurse letting her in to see him.

Smiling, he let her know that he was aware of her presence and glad to see her.

Coming to his side, Elizabeth looked worried and relieved. "Oh, Hon," she kissed him and then leaned into him while holding his hand. She wanted to hug him, but it wasn't possible while he lay in the hospital bed with tubes helping him run the drug through his system.

Managing to kiss her back and give her hand a light squeeze, Peter knew he was slowly regaining his control.

After a few moments, she leaned back with tears in her eyes as she moved to sit on the edge of his bed in an effort to remain close to him.

"They're getting ready to settle Neal into a room. He has a concussion from hitting his head on rocks and there is some bruising from where the current knocked him into the riverbed some, but he's alive, and they think he'll be alright, but of course, they're watching his head injury closely so he's in the Intensive Care Unit until they feel there is no risk." Elizabeth still had tears misting in her eyes as she ran her fingers through his hair. She was trying to convey comfort, but her presence and the reassurance that Neal would likely be okay did more for Peter than anything else had.

Letting his eyes close as the fatigue caught up with him, Peter kept a hold of her hand and drifted off to the feeling of her fingers lightly going through his hair and rubbing back and forth on his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, reviewing/commenting, leaving kudos, choosing to favorite my stories and I, and following :D


	6. Recovery

*******

Sitting by Neal's bedside, Peter watched his brother sleeping. The kid seemed to be resting peacefully on the surface as his body was still and seemed relaxed, but Peter could see the twitches to his eyes and somehow knew that his brother wasn't experiencing good memories in his unconscious mind.

Reaching out and taking his hand, Peter tried to convey that it was alright, that they were both safe.

Then Neal opened his eyes slightly. He blinked and shifted his head slightly as if to see the room.

"Hey, buddy, how are you feeling?" Peter tried to engage his brother in general conversation.

"Why are the chairs always empty?" There was a distant glaze to Neal's eyes as he mumbled the question. "Every time I wake up, the chairs are empty."

"They're not empty this time. Look at me, Neal?" Peter made another attempt to get through to his brother, but Neal seemed to be in another time. Aching as he realized that this was some of what his brother had felt and experienced the first time he had woken up in a hospital after being in that river, Peter held Neal's hand firmly while reaching for the nurse call button.

When the nurse checked on them, she saw that Neal's eyes were open. "He's awake."

"Yeah, but not in this decade, he seems to be remembering the first time he was in that river. He asked why the chairs were empty and isn't responding to my presence." Peter wasn't sure if it was more the fear or pain that made his voice waver, but the nurse seemed to understand as she moved closer and paged the doctor.

Checking over Neal vitals, she was monitoring his readings and attempting to sooth Neal's mumbled comments when the doctor came in.

Asking Peter to wait in the hallway, the doctor started running some tests and attempted to gauge what was causing Neal's reaction.

Worried, Peter took a seat as close as he could before pulling out his phone. Speed dialing his parents, he updated them. "Andy's awake, but not in this decade. He seems to be reliving something of what happened when he was eight and woke up in the hospital alone. I tried talking to him, but I don't think he even knew I was in the room."

"We'll be there within another hour or so depending on traffic. This time he won't be going through all of this alone." His mother promised.

"I'm glad. He might not remember you, but he should have us to lean on if he needs us rather than trying to get through everything alone. This is the second time in three weeks I've had to watch him fight for his life and both times he has seemed to take it in stoic acceptance. Neal doesn't seem to be used to relying on others much." He was scared and worried and angry, but there was nothing that he could do. Talking to his parents helped to ease some of the stress so he talked to them for a while until they reached the city. With the promise to see him shortly, they ended the call.

Still unable to see his brother, Peter knew that the longer they worked with him, the more answers they would hopefully have when they did come out. Moving to stand, he walked toward the window so that he could see into the room, but the blinds had been drawn.

Leaning against the wall across the hallway, Peter stared at the door even though he wasn't seeing it.

"How is he?" Elizabeth came up beside him putting her hand on his shoulder to get his attention.

"I don't know. He wasn't in this decade, kept wondering why the chairs were empty and I couldn't get through to him. The doctor has been with him for nearly an hour. How was your nap?" Peter tried to focus on his wife.

Moving to hug him, Elizabeth leaned into his embrace. "I slept some."

"But not much," Peter kissed her head. "Are the nightmares that bad?"

Shivering into him, she seemed reluctant to talk. "I know you're fine and Neal is slowly recovering with the hope that he'll be okay, but I can't help fearing what would have happened if those people hadn't helped you."

Kissing her head again, Peter didn't have anything to say. He'd also been dreaming about what might have been and the nightmares weren't pleasant.

"It's about time we got to repay some of our debt." A male voice came from behind them.

Parting slightly, Peter and Elizabeth shifted so that they could turn and see who was speaking.

It was the tall guy with the curly hair and his blonde wife. "You're Chuck and Sarah, right? Old friends of Neal's?" Peter was pretty sure that was who they were.

Smiling, Chuck introduced himself. "Yes, I'm Charles Bartowski, but please call me Chuck. This is my wife Sarah."

Shaking their hands respectively, Peter introduced himself and Elizabeth. "Thank you for your help. My brother and I owe you our lives."

Waving his comment away, Chuck wouldn't accept the debt. "Bryce has saved my life, my family, and my extended family's lives. I'm the one who owes your family; this is just a small down payment. Bryce and I were roommates in college and the guy's been looking out for me since we were eighteen, actually, he was sixteen according to recent discoveries about his past."

"You've known our boy since he was sixteen?" Peter was glad to hear his mother as she approached with his father.

Turning to see them, Peter observed his parents. His father was a lot like him, solid, dependable, and easy going. They shared a broad build and the brown features. In contrast, his mother was leaner with blue eyes and dark hair more like Andy. She was where he learned to put his hands on his hips from when he was being authoritative. His mother was no-nonsense and direct looking out for those around her and ensuring everything was taken care of. Respecting her, Peter never wanted to disappoint her and she had high standards.

"Chuck and Sarah, these are our parents Luke and Jeannine Burke. Mom and dad, this is Chuck and Sara Bartowski, they friends of Andy's."

The couples shook hands and greeted each other before turning to Peter for an update.

Going to reiterate Neal's condition, Peter was relieved of the task by the door opening and the doctor coming out.

"Agent Burke, Mrs. Burke," He greeted them before Peter introduced the rest of the group.

"How is he?" Peter needed to know as he held Elizabeth's hand nervously.

"There was swelling around his head injury but we reduced it and the pressure this caused has been released. It appears to be a combination of this and the trauma of the recent events that caused a temporary regression. When last questioned, he knew the date of his abduction but was uncertain how much time had progressed since then. We'll continue to monitor him and if his tests continue to come back positive we'll downgrade him in a few days." The doctor gave them the good news before answering their questions and leaving them to wait for the nurses to finish.

Once Neal was comfortable and his situation adjusted to his conscious state, the nurses cleared out and allowed his family and friends to visit him under the provision of them keeping him quiet and calm.

Going first, Peter walked in with Elizabeth and greeted Neal. "Hey, are you with me this time?" Peter quietly asked.

"Yeah, I wasn't before?" Neal whispered back. He was lying on fresh sheets, there were fewer tubes, and his head had new bandages.

"No, I think you were somewhere in another decade. This time you aren't alone though. Elizabeth and I are here. Mom and dad are waiting in the hallway. And some friends of yours are with them, a Chuck and Sarah Bartowski." Peter took Neal's hand in his and was glad when the kid squeezed it back.

"Chuck and Sarah? I haven't seen them in years." Neal blinked slowly, and then his eyes opened more quickly. "You said mom and dad are here too?"

"They aren't going to let you go through this alone again. You may not be ready to see them yet, but they're here if you need them." Peter kept his voice soft to avoid hurting Neal's head but rubbed his thumb back and forth some as a means of fidgeting while attempting to offer comfort.

"Where are they?" Neal raised his voice slightly and shifted before wincing and closing his eyes in pain.

"Shh, they're in the hallway just outside the door. I'll go get them, alright?" Peter whispered and then waited for Neal to work through the pain enough to give him permission to let them in. Squeezing his hand, Peter then patted it before smiling at Elizabeth and heading for the hallway.

Opening the door, Peter stepped out. "Mom, dad, he's asking for you. Keep your voice low though, he raised his own voice slightly and it looked like it hurt a lot."

With tears in her eyes, his mom used a tissue to try and stem them before straightening her stance. His father got up and blinked away the tears before gruffly saying he was glad Andy wanted to see them.

Swinging the door open for them to enter, Peter smiled at Chuck and Sarah as they remained casually leaned against the wall. Then he followed his parents in thrilled to see his whole family together, including his wife, for the first time.

"Hello, son," his mom was taking Neal's hand while Elizabeth moved toward the foot of the bed. Luke moved to stand at Jeanine's shoulder where he could see his son for the first time in decades.

Mirroring his father, Peter moved to stand by his wife's side and held her close while smiling down at Neal.

"It's been a really long time." Neal held his mother's hand while looking up at his parents for the first time since he was eight. There was a tear running down the side of his face while his eyes were shining with more.

"Everything is alright now though, son. You rest, and we'll be here whenever you need us." Luke said before softly clearing his throat as he tried to blink for control of his own tears.

Looking tired, Neal's eyes were drooping despite his efforts.

"We'll get our hotel and be back in the morning. Sleep well, Andy." Jeanine lifted his hand to kiss it as she couldn't hug him or kiss his forehead.

Once she stepped away, Luke put his hand on Neal's shoulder and squeezed lightly in a form of a hug. Neal raised his hand to rest on Luke's arm returning the gesture as best he could under the circumstances. For only a few moments they held eye contact before Luke released him to follow his wife into the hallway.

Unable to avoid crying himself, Peter stepped forwards again to take Neal's hand. "I told you that you were loved and missed. You aren't going to be alone in this. We have to go as visiting hours are closing, but we'll be back in the morning and we'll keep coming back until you're leaving with us."

"Thanks, bro," Neal smiled softly before sniffing. His wince indicated that it hurt.

Reaching up to wipe the tear tracks from the side of his face, Elizabeth smiled at him gently. "It's what family is for."

"Can you send Chuck and Sarah in?" Neal asked after they bid him goodnight.

"Yes, I'll let them know that you want to see them," Peter promised with a final squeeze of Neal's hand. He wasn't going to be a resident in the hospital this night so he was leaving with the others to a hotel room.

Returning to the hallway, Peter stood just outside of the door and rubbed his neck. He'd spent a lot of time looking down so it was a relief to look at the ceiling for a moment to regroup his emotions. Then straightening, he directed back over his shoulder while looking at Chuck and Sarah. "He wants to see you."

Standing, neither of them seemed to be surprised. "He'll be okay, Peter. Bryce, he's strong and although he's had times when he's been alone, there has always been someone he could call on if he reached a point where he needed to." Clapping Peter on the shoulder in passing, Chuck was encouraging before he and his wife went into to talk to Neal.

Knowing it was going to be a road to recovery, Peter was glad that this time his brother had a support group to get him through it.

*******

Hearing the door open again, Neal turned to see Chuck and Sarah entering his room.

"Hey," he softly greeted unsure of what their reactions would be.

Smiling, Chuck softly answered, "Hi, Bryce. First, if you ever die on us again and don't tell us that you're alive, we're going to look for you anyway, and when we find you, I'm going to find a way to track you that you can't get away from. Second, we're really glad you've found your family." Reaching his bedside, Chuck stood by with his hands loosely by his side.

"You know we'll find you, so don't bother testing us. After being burned twice, we aren't going to trust that you're dead, Bryce. But as Chuck said, we're really glad you're alive after all. It seems like every time I think I've gotten the picture of who you are, you pull out another secret to reveal another unforeseen depth." Sarah whispered from where she moved to Chuck's side.

Almost laughing, the pain prevented Bryce from following through. Once he could speak again, "I didn't know the answer to this one until recently, it was a secret from me as well. Although I wish we hadn't lost out on so much time, I can't complain about my family."

"I think they're good for you too. Actually, Peter and Elizabeth kind of remind me of Ellie and Awesome." Chuck grinned.

Despite his curiosity to see Chuck and Sarah again, Bryce could feel his eyes drooping more as the blinks got longer.

"Bryce," Chuck got his attention by lightly touching his wrist. "We've got a hotel here and it's all going to be different this time. I'm sure your brother has promised to be here to help you through this but we're here for you too."

Reaching out to touch his arm, Sarah got his attention. "We may not be active agents anymore, but Beckman has us contracted to help with some of the cases connected to your recent work. Everything is taken care of, so you focus on healing."

Nodding lightly, Bryce was losing the battle against sleep.

"yIQongchu," Chuck told him to sleep well before he and Sarah slipped out the door.

Hearing the door click shut, he let his eyes drift closed and breathed deeper to let sleep come over him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, leaving kudos, following, reviewing/commenting, and choosing to favorite :)


	7. Reconciliation

*******

As Neal recovered, Peter spent a lot of time in the hospital with him, their family, and his friends.

Getting to know Chuck, Peter learned that the man and his wife were retired agents. Although Chuck didn't go into details, he explained how he and his team had been on hand to rescue them from the river. In short, they were contracted for something that had them in the region but were heading back to New York City for transportation back to their home base in California. On the way, they were notified of an alert about the abduction so they researched the situation out of curiosity about Bryce while they drove. It was a fortunate coincidence that they happened to be on the same back highway, but they recognized the vehicle and investigated. Having found them, they helped get the brothers off to the hospital before continuing on to the city. Once they had their contract complete, one of theirs went home to manage their companies, one returned to his active service, and they came back for Bryce. They also had a hotel room and were remaining nearby to provide their own means of support which included helping with the investigation and resulting cases.

"Bryce, he and I have a lot of history, but that also means we still have some things to work out from the past. Your brother, he's good at keeping things to himself and sometimes it's hard to figure out what is happening until later when the pieces come together. He did so much for me and my family, and I didn't realize just how much until after he left my life. I'm not letting him get away again; he's one of the best friends I've ever had." Chuck didn't go into detail, but the mystery made it more intriguing.

The more Peter was learning, the more he realized that he was still missing details about the man his brother had become.

Watching Neal's recovery, Peter was pleased to see the way he opened up and slowly worked to get to know their parents while also sharing something of himself in return. His friends Chuck and Sarah were often around and were happy to meet the family while also blending back to let them have time to get to know each other as needed. It was a pleasant melding of Andy's and Bryce's lives and Peter enjoyed it, but what he enjoyed most, was watching as his brother's smile grew in the most genuine way he'd ever seen. For the first time, Neal didn't seem to have a shadow behind the smile.

*******

When it was time for Neal to leave the hospital, he asked if everyone had a little more time. "We're close to the town I grew up in."

That had everyone's attention. Agreeing to a road trip, they were all interested to see where he'd grown up and the Burkes particularly hoped to meet the retired officer who'd raised him.

Dividing into their respective vehicles, they drove the short distance to the neighboring town. It was a small community with some old buildings to date its origin back to the colonial days. Parking downtown, they lined up their vehicles before getting out. The community was best visited on foot as it gave them a closer view of Neal's childhood.

"Just about everything is within a few blocks." Neal was wearing one of his rat pack suits Elizabeth had brought for him so he stood out in the more casual dress of the others and the people around them.

Showing them the school, he leaned on the fence and pointed out which visible window was for which classroom and the memorable stories from his time there.

As they walked, they passed by the local park so Neal paused to reminisce. He had them laughing as he pointed out some of his favorite equipment and recounting the games he used to play as a heroic adventurer. "I was always the hero of my adventure, and no one could contradict what they didn't know."

Moving on, he filled them in on the history of the local town as they meandered the streets. "The community has been here for over two hundred years and some of the families can trace their heritage to the founders. Many of the others have come in over the centuries, but I was always the odd one out. There were a lot of theories as to how I ended up here, they were all wrong, but it made me different." He tried to avoid stating it, but his family and friends were intuitive enough to know that it also meant he was alienated by the general population, including the kids, outside of required activities.

Trying to distract them from the depressing picture it made his childhood out to be, Neal walked them back downtown and showed them the local shops he used to visit, where he got his first job, and gave them an idea of what daily life in the town was like.

Directing them to the diner, he suggested getting lunch before seeing if they could find Ellen.

Picking a table, Neal had everyone take their seats and order some food. Keeping the conversation generally going, Neal talked classes from college with Chuck, working for the FBI with Peter, general life in New York with Elizabeth, and his parents shared stories of his childhood with Peter's help. It showed everyone pieces of his life and engaged someone from that period into the conversation.

*******

Sitting with his family, Neal loved the change in experience. 

Growing up, he'd walked these streets seeing the other families around him and wondered why his didn't want him. At the school, Ellen was the only one cheering him on and his adventures on the playground were solo. When he sat in this diner, Ellen kept him company and the rest of the patrons whispered the latest theory about him while he couldn't help but overhear. But, not this time. 

This time, he walked the streets pointing out the places he had grown up to his curious family and friends. The school and park brought up stories of their memories and childhood experiences bringing them all closer.  Then , as he sat listening to his parents tell him stories about his growing up years in between sharing more modern stories of his adventures with Chuck, Peter, and Elizabeth; and he hardly even noticed the gossip and looks he garnered. They didn't matter, because he was there with most of the people who mattered to him.

However, there was one person that he did notice. Joshua Williams, or Josh, was paying attention to them. 

The guy was thought to be the same age growing up, although Bryce turned out to be younger than estimated, so the two had been in the same class from the time Bryce was placed locally  until the two graduated high school together. Josh had always been the local boy who everyone knew. He was the captain of the foo tball team, the home coming king , the prom king, and having gone into the military his service also made him the hometown hero everyone respected. What would he be watching them for?

Sure, the guy had always been one to observe him when their paths crossed, and they'd crossed since Bryce left, but that still didn't explain his interest in their conversation in the diner. Josh had never been in the g ossip circles, he was just  one of their favorite subjects.

When the guy got up, Neal kept him in his peripheral. Josh was tall, broad, and his blond buzz cut added to his appearance. Although he wasn't one for causing trouble, if he had figured things out and said the wrong thing, it could get awkward for Neal to retain his secrets in front of his family, particularly his brother.

"Bryce, I should have known it was you." Josh stopped behind him and seemed determined to call him out over something.

"Josh," Neal acknowledged his presence but didn't act beyond that.

"Stand up, there is something I have to say to you." The man pushed.

Putting his hand up, Neal didn't want his family to add to the coming scene and make it worse. Josh wasn't being threatening, but he had something to say and he wanted Neal on the same level. Standing up and facing the other man, Neal was relaxed in posture, but he was slightly worried about what Josh might want to say.

The diner had gone quiet as the patrons all paused to watch and listen. This was the town outcast being confronted by their hero. It was too interesting to be present and miss.

"I didn't put it all together until the papers started co ming out with the stories as they've been exposing old cases that have since been closed revealing the officers ' activities in association with former crime organizations in the area . A s the case progresses I'm sure more will continue to  be revealed in the coming months, but since you're here now , this needs to be said." Josh squared his shoulders and lifted his head. 

"When we were kids, our parents told us that someone tried to murder you and that they may try again, so we avoided you at all times outside of school and other required interactions. This means we didn't invite you to the parties, the sleepovers, or any of the times we got together to hang out whether it was to shoot hoops at the park or to go swimming in the creek. Sometimes we'd make plans to go out as a group and then we'd find you lounging at the gate to the part, or against a tree between us and the creek, or even by an alley shortcut we'd want to take home.  Who knows how many times you did it, but every time we'd have to find another activity or route because you'd tried to invite yourself along when we didn't want you around. ” Josh recounted their childhoods which made Neal suspicious, had he figured him out?

"However, there were a few dates that stuck out to me because they were days we saw as special for either being a birthday or whatever, it doesn't matter now, but those dates stuck in our minds as we were so mad at you for ruining our plans. Then, with these articles, they've shown that those cops were handling their illegal activities at some of our favorite hangout places, and a few of the dates and locations matched the times you stood between us and the danger. You are the person who's been watching their activities for years, you are the one who made sure someone listened and looked into them officially, and you used our aversion of you to keep us safely away from their activities when we were kids. They nearly killed you for it and you haven't done a single thing to point this out to us!" Joshua seemed surprised, flustered, and yet also respectful. 

Surprised, Neal hadn't expected anyone to figure it out, other than maybe Ellen, let alone call him  out to make a public acknowledg ment for it. Waiting, he didn't answer Josh's statements as the man was neither questioning nor finished.

"That isn't even touching  the time I ran into you oversea s or the things I heard about you over there." 

Frowning, Josh wasn't taking his story again. "Don't tell me I had a tag on my uniform again, because I didn't, and even if I had, it wouldn't explain a stranger knowing the things you did. I may have believed you easily enough at the time, but we were in the middle of chaos after a bombing attack and I'd been hit so I wasn't exactly firing on all engines.” 

“You walked through that insanity like a crazy person to haul me to safety and protected the others who were pinned down by targeting the assailants' weapons. Then you helped tend injuries while also digging the survivors out of the rubble as a first responder. I can't count how many lives you saved that one time  alone, let alone the rumors of the other things you did to help soldiers and civilians stay alive in the heat of the war.”

“My military connections may not be as varied as some, but I heard that Bryce Larkin was connected to that name, and whatever your association ultimately was, you did a lot of good over there." Josh was firm and serious, he was righting a wrong and although he understood the implications of keeping his mouth shut, that the alias he alluded to was government sanctioned and classified, he was still revealing more than Neal wanted to be said.

Putting out his hand to shake, Josh was about finished. "After everything we put you through growing up and the amount of thing you did to save our lives and the lives of others, you  deserve so much more, but I can only say, thank you, for everything you've don e. I hope you find your family if you haven't already, and that they know who you really are."

Shaking his hand, Ne al nodded in general acknowledg ment of his comment before introducing himself. "It turns out I'm Andrew Burke, my file was 'mysteriously' shoved over the guard in the file cabinet to be lost for twenty years. This is my family. My parents are Luke and Jeanine Burke, my big brother Agent Peter Burke and his wife Elizabeth, and my friends Chuck and Sarah Bartowski. This is Josh Williams; he was in my class growing up."

Josh generally greeted them and they he in return, but there wasn't much conversation to be had, so Josh soon excused himself for interrupting their meal. "I didn't want to interrupt your meal, but I couldn't help saying that. Andy, he did a lot for me even when I didn't know it so I wanted to thank him publically for what he did secretly."

"Andy?" Neal questioned with a quirked eyebrow. 

"To me, you'll always be Andy, the boy and then the man who saved my life more times than I'll probably ever know." Josh smiled with a waved salute motion as he walked back over to his table.

"Huh," Neal pulled out his seat and sat back down with his family. Looking around them, he could tell that Chuck and Sarah knew something of what Josh talked about, but his family was mostly focused on adding generalized stories of his heroism. Peter though, his mind appeared to be working on trying to figure out what alias was associated with the story. 

Sighing, he shook his head at Peter when he realized that Neal was looking at him. "I have a lot of secrets, Peter, and you aren't going to figure everything out." 

"I'm learning that what I knew only scratches the surface." Peter murmured softly as he looked at him. Then he asked a little louder, "You did that to us too, didn't you? The whole keep what you are really doing a secret while showing us what you wanted us to see?"

"He specializes in that." Chuck agreed. "It took me years to figure out all the things he was doing to protect everyone behind the actions I saw."

"You're not helping, Chuck," Neal grumbled. His family was looking at him, the entire diner crowd was looking at him, and even Chuck and Sarah were looking at him like they were seeing more of who he was for the first time. Ducking his head, he tried to ignore all of the eyes staring at him. This, he wasn't so certain what to do with. He was practiced at dealing with  censure from these people, but this heroic admiration was alien and rather embarrassing.

Jumping slightly startled, Neal shifted out of the way as Molly, their waitress, slid a piece of cherry pie in front of him. It was fresh for the lunch crowd, alamode, and something they never seemed to have when he was growing up. "Thank you? " He was politely confused and it showed in his voice. He hadn't ordered dessert, hadn't bother trying since he was eight.

Standing next to him, Molly was wringing her hands a little bit. "What Josh said, we all deserved it. We really didn't accept you or even give you a chance. Even if it was an action as small as saying we were out of pie when we weren't, I can't think of a native person in this town that did much to make you feel welcome. Ellen moved here after her accident and has mostly kept to herself, but she's a tough person, and in some respects better than the rest of us because she saw you as the scared little boy we overlooked. I can't say anything for the others, but for myself, I'm sorry for the part I played. Now, it isn't much, but anytime you're passing through, you'd better let me buy you a piece of pie. It's the least I can do for lying to you all of those years."

Standing up again, Neal didn't know what to say so he gave her a hug as she obviously needed forgiveness. He was surprised when she then burst into tears and started to repeat that he  was a "good boy." After a few moments , she patted him on the shoulder and retreated to the kitchen.

Unsure of his emotions, Neal used the motion of returning to his seat to glance around the room. Many of the other patrons were either slowly eating with their heads down or pretending not to be watching the happenings and the atmosphere seemed to be charged with awkward guilt. He knew every one of them by name. If he tried, he could probably remember some cut or action they'd done to point out his lack of belonging in the community. These shows of public appreciation or apology seemed to be pricking at several consciences. 

Sitting down, Neal didn't look at his family; instead, he was focused on alleviating the mass discomfort around him. Turning the saucer and lifting his spoon, he gave what to say consideration, and chose to refer to his favorite officer at a volume all could hear in the silence. "Ellen taught me two things growing up. First, she insisted that I always do the right thing, no matter what the cost should be . Her story isn't mine to share, but she has always been the inspiration that kept me going no matter what. Second, that it doesn't matter what people think as long as I know the truth. Her contradiction to the rumors was that it didn't matter what brought me here, as long as I came into her life and that I knew how glad she was  for my presence." It was the best he could do, to share the advice that made him who he was, so Neal started to eat the pie and left his audience to find their own meaning and use for it.

Peter reached over to pat him on the shoulder and gave a squeeze before leaving his hand resting there as a comfort.

Chuck seemed to be quiet at first, then Neal heard him ask Sarah, "I take it you learned that second one from him?"

"Him and my dad, each have their own way of using the advice, but both live by giving the world a percepti on while keeping the truth to themselves." Sarah seemed to be remembering her own associations with the lesson.

Neal had many memories of his own. From growing up in a town that ostracized him for being a stranger, going to college where he got his best friend expelled for cheating to save his life, and then government work which had too many examples to even begin.

It didn't take him long to eat the piece of pie and when he looked up the bill had been paid and the group was generally chatting while waiting for him.

"Where to now?" Luke asked as he put his wallet away. 

"If it's alright with her, I'd like you all to meet Ellen." Neal didn't know what she would be doing or even if she was home,  but now that he had the chance, he wanted to bring his entire family together.

"Alright, lead on. I think we'd all like to meet her for having raised you, let alone the influence she has had on you." Peter summarized what was likely all of their feelings before the group moved out to walk down the street again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, reviewing/commenting, leaving kudos, following, and choosing to favorite me as an author :D


	8. Memory Lane

*******

The group walked along fairly quietly as everyone thought about what had transpired over lunch. Neal especially seemed to be reflecting on various things, but no one could really guess what all must be on his mind.

Peter enjoyed the glimpse further into the man his brother had become and was interested to learn more. He'd always liked to try and untangle the puzzle that the man presented, but learning that they were brothers made it personal and the secrets revealed since then only increased his pride in being related to the kid.

After a few blocks, Neal turned up a walk by opening the gate of a white picket fence. The lawn lining the way was tidy and there were flowers in two neat beds under the front windows with a little porch separating them. Overall, the house was a simple little home with white siding and soft green trim. It was quaint and modest making it a lovely place to grow up.

Reaching the door, Neal avoided the wreath and lifted the knocker to alert the resident to their presence.

Standing behind, Peter waited with the others on the sidewalk leaving Neal the porch with room to greet and introduce without being crowed.

When the door opened, an older lady with graying blond hair stood in slacks and a turtleneck. She was elegant, and yet seemed like a friendly aunt you looked forward to visiting. Standing with Neal, she seemed to be surprised to see him, but a quiet conversation cleared up her confusion before he turned to introduce them all.

"You remember that roommate I told you about in college? This is Chuck and his wife Sarah." Neal directed to them as people Ellen had heard about before. Then he directed her attention to the Burkes. "And you were right; my family has been looking for me all along. Fortunately, my brother is the archeologist of the FBI, agent Peter Burke, so he untangled the mystery. These are our parents Luke and Jeanine with Peter's wife Elizabeth." Hugging Ellen sideways, Neal introduced her to them. "As you can guess, this is my foster mom, Ellen Parker, or Aunt Ellen as I grew up calling her."

Moving forwards, Jeanine and Luke shook her hand before Jeanine hugged Ellen for herself. "Thank you, we spent a lot of time worrying about our boy, but I'm glad he had you to look out for him." Stepping back, Jeanine took Ellen's hand again. "He's talked about you, and we'd be honored if you'd still be his aunt Ellen."

Smiling happily, Ellen seemed to be fighting back her own emotions as she looked at Neal standing by wearing a nice suit and surrounded by friends and family. "I'd like that. This is the first time I've seen him truly happy. He seemed comfortable here with me, but he wasn't able to completely hide his hurt at the idea that his family didn't want him. I'm glad things worked out." Then wiping her eyes quickly, she invited the group in and offered them coffee and a tour.

Following the group in, Peter was interested to see where his brother had grown up. It didn't look like a place where he'd develop his current cappuccino in the clouds taste, but that could have come later.

Entering the house, it opened into a modest living room with arranged seating for conversation, a chair with light from the front window where Ellen seemed to do her reading, and a focal fireplace which would be nice in the cold North-Atlantic winters. Since Ellen opted to start with the tour and then return to talk, they continued to the kitchen where she started the coffee perking. It was a comfortable area with modern appliances and an airy atmosphere centered around a raised table that was part island and part kitchen table. Then continuing down the hallway, there was an open door to a modest bathroom before they were shown Neal's former room.

Lingering by the door, Peter looked around with interest. The space had a twin bed along the outer side wall, a nightstand beside it next to the window on the outer wall, and a desk along the inner wall. Since the room was small, there was a reach in closet on the remaining side wall that took hanging clothes on one side and had a tall and lean dresser on the other side as there wasn't room for it anywhere else.

"I had some posters on the wall and a few things around to personalize the space, but I took them with me to college." Neal shrugged as he sat on the bed looking back at the group as they either stood around his former room or stood in the hallway observing the space.

"There haven't been any other long-term foster children since him, so I still always think of this as his room." Ellen stood close by seeming thrilled to have her foster son back for a visit, but there was something to the way she kept looking at Neal, like this wasn't a normal occurrence.

"You haven't been back to visit since you left?" Peter understood the emotions with sudden insight.

"No, she was the only reason I had to come back here, and we met other places on the longer breaks in college. Then, when I got involved in things with Chuck's dad in college, I stopped seeing her as much and eventually communication has gotten a bit sporadic at times. It's been a while since my life allowed me to be open with those around me." Neal glanced at Ellen with an apologetic expression.

"You're still keeping secrets, but I'm glad you're opening up where you can." Peter watched the way Neal smirked at him at the mention of his secrets, but otherwise, he seemed to be relaxed and genuinely glad to let them in.

Moving the tour on straight down the hall through the mudroom and out to the backyard, Ellen was followed by most of the group, but Peter lingered behind with Neal.

"This isn't the kind of room you would have expected me to grow up in, is it?" Neal seemed curious about his opinion.

"It's smaller than your room back home, you don't have your things about to personalize it, but otherwise, yeah, this is similar to what you would have grown up in which is what I base a lot of perspective of childhood rooms on. Sure, yours is different than mine, but you liked to mimic me in some respects." Peter teased knowing he was going to raise Neal's curiosity.

Perking up, Neal grabbed the bait. "Someday, I hope to go back and see where we grew up. You'll have to tell me about our rooms. Did I mirror you trying to have exactly like you, or did I try to have my own personal space, but maybe arranged it like you?"

Smiling, Peter nodded his head for Neal to come with him and catch up to the rest of the tour. "It's more fun to just show you when the time comes." Seeing the downcast expression of his brother's countenance, Peter pulled him into a hug not allowing him to get past. "Trust me, I have plans."

When he released Neal, the kid had a curious expression.

"That would be telling." Peter patted the kid on the shoulder before guiding him to follow the others.

Reaching the backyard, they found the others surveying a neat lawn with a garden to the side. They were standing on a decent sized deck that had a table and scattered seating. Beyond the lawn, there was a driveway to a garage and a basketball hoop.

"As you can see, there isn't a lot to occupy a child here, but Bryce enjoyed learning to cook and often helped me with the lawn and garden work. On my better days, we'd play games like Horse in the driveway, but my injuries restrict me from moving too fast so he often practiced shots alone or went for a run burning energy when he needed to move." Ellen was explaining some of how Neal had kept himself occupied growing up.

"We played games inside when the weather didn't allow for outdoor activity, or she'd send me out to shovel the snow as an occupation for getting a workout." Neal grinned as he joined in.

"And you always appreciated the hot chocolate that was waiting to thaw you out." Ellen matched his smile.

Turning serious, Ellen seemed to need something answered. "Truth, do you feel that I'd failed to protect you as I didn't realize your file wasn't actively in the system?"

"Truth, we both know your injuries were a result of fighting the corruption you found in your precinct so you're aware of the existence of corruption, but you weren't involved with the local officers to get a read on them. They avoided you and barely told you that no progress had come up on my case when you periodically checked. How were you supposed to know? You tried to contradict the rumors, gave me a safe shelter, and protected me in all the ways I needed it most. I don't blame you for anything." Neal was standing on the other side of the table from her so he wasn't close enough to hug her or anything, but the way he talked was comforting.

Peter was intrigued by their conversation and remembered that Neal had called truth the harder game. Apparently, he and Ellen treated it like a serious game, a way to get their questions asked and answered honestly.

"What is your favorite story of Andy growing up?" Jeanine asked Ellen. She was eager to get to know her son and this was her chance to go through those who knew him in those missing years.

Leading them back inside as she thought, Ellen poured the coffee and helped them get their drinks before the group moved to take various seats around the front living room.

Once she was in her chair with a steaming cup in her hands, Ellen seemed to have prepared her story of choice. "It was his senior prom. You said he was two years younger than estimated so he would have been about sixteen at the time. As you know, the town never welcomed him with open arms, so he hadn't bothered asking a girl for a date, instead, he put on a tux and dressed nicely before going to the dance. There, he made sure to dance with every single girl that was willing at least once to ensure no one didn't have a dance if they didn't want one. Then he came back and drove me to a neighboring town where he took me out to a nice dinner." Her eyes were distant as if she was remembering while Neal was also looking rather reminiscent.

Sipping their coffee and talking, Peter learned that Ellen had insisted on Neal keeping everything from his years with her. That she believed his family would want the chance to catch up with him, to see what his life had been like while they searched for him.

"It's in a storage unit back in the city," Neal admitted to still having the things. "Although I had given up hope of my family ever wanting me, I knew she'd tan my hide if she ever learned that I'd gotten rid of anything. Ellen was always a staunch supporter of the theory that there had to be a misunderstanding."

"How could anyone not want him? Bryce has always been a pleasure to have around and I couldn't imagine anyone knowing that and then choosing to abandon him." Ellen defended her opinion.

Smiling, Peter teased with a serious undertone, "He can be annoying on a good day, even when we were kids, but I wouldn't trade him for anyone. Andy's my little brother, and I don't care what he calls himself, that doesn't change."

Neal seemed touched by the comment as he smiled in return.

Noticing the time, the group reluctantly moved towards leaving but made sure to exchange contact information.

"We usually like to have Peter and Elizabeth up sometime during the holidays for some family time and this year we hope Andy can make it too. There isn't a date yet, but we'd like you to join us if you can when the time comes. You've been a huge part of our Andy's past, and we really would like you to continue being a part of his life as his aunt." Luke and Jeanine extended the invitation.

Watching, Peter noticed that Neal seemed to think that was when he wanted to show him around their childhood home while Ellen firmly held his and Chuck's business cards with all of their information written on them as she promised to be there.

With their afternoon progressing, the group moved out and started the walk back towards the cars while Neal said his goodbye to Ellen. Then he caught up to them easily enough.

Reaching the cars, Chuck hugged Neal while Sarah kissed his cheek lightly.

"I have your brother's business card with your family's contacts, your contact information and current living address, and I can get a hold of your tracking data. If you don't answer my communication and keep in touch as we arranged, I will come to get you. Also, don't forget my threat while you were in the hospital if you so much as dare to do that to us again." Chuck promised before he got into his car.

"You may do a good job of your performance as Caffrey, but my dad is a con artist. I can find you in that community too. There isn't anywhere you can ultimately run to again. We will find you." Sarah backed her husband up before joining him in the car for their trip home.

Amused, Neal grinned at Peter. "That would be a lot scarier if they weren't friends."

Clapping him on the shoulder carefully, Peter didn't want to hurt him, but he was also preventing his brother from trying to say goodbye to their parents. "I'm sure it would be, but you've always had interesting friends since I've met the adult you. Climb in, mom and dad aren't letting you go that easily. We're going to the same place."

Puzzled, Neal climbed into the back of Peter's car that Elizabeth had driven up in.

Hitting the road with his parents leading the way, Peter drove while periodically glancing in the rearview mirror to see something of his brother. At first, Neal had been comfortable with the silence as he thought about the day and everything that had happened, but, eventually, the emotional fatigued caused him to curl up and take a nap.

Glad his brother had fallen asleep mixed with the growing darkness, Peter hoped Neal wouldn't realize that they weren't headed back to the city until they reached their destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, reviewing/commenting, and choosing to favorite :D


	9. Coming Home

*******

Waking up, Neal realized that they weren't in the city, but he initially thought that he hadn't slept very long and had likely only dozed off briefly.

Closing his eyes and listening to his siblings talk in the front seat, he loved that, his siblings; he relaxed and enjoyed their company while waiting for the familiar slowdown as they reentered the city.

It didn't come.

They were still driving at a decent pace and it was dark so they'd been driving for a while. Something was up, but he didn't alert Peter to his knowledge and instead waited to see what was happening.

When the car did finally start to slow down towards entering a city, it wasn't the Big Apple, there weren't nearly enough lights or traffic for that. Cracking his eyes open, Neal missed the welcome sign so he didn't know what the place was called for sure. They took main roads through the city until they reached a particular block where Peter slowed to pull into the drive behind another vehicle. Where ever it was, they were there.

"Hey, Neal, wake up," Elizabeth called while reaching back from the passenger seat to shake his knee.

"This isn't the city, you can't try to pull that one past me, but I didn't catch the welcome sign so I'm not sure where we actually are although we're obviously there." Neal wondered where it could be.

Sitting upright allowing the pillow he'd been leaning on to fall, Neal looked towards Peter and Elizabeth with his eyes wide open. "We're there aren't we, I'm mean here, but this here is there, isn't it?"

He heard Peter's amused laugh as he got out and then moved to open Neal's door to crouch in front of him while Elizabeth remained turned around in the front seat.

"Yes, we're here, which is there, and you're home for the first time since you were eight years old. Your sentence was commuted on the way here while you were asleep, so your anklet gets to come off when we get inside too, but I wanted to surprise you so I figured a few extra hours to pull this off wouldn't hurt."

Staring off into the darkness, Neal was trying to picture the house, but even the street light wasn't enough to see the details.

Feeling a tapping, he looked down towards where Peter was still crouched with his hand resting on his knee from getting his attention. "Are you alright?"

"Can we take it off out here, I don't, I don't want to wear it in there." Neal didn't want anything criminal associated with this place. He couldn't remember it, but it shouldn't be tainted on his return.

"Yeah, we can do that. Unbuckle and turn so I can reach it." Peter moved back a bit to give him space.

Making the necessary adjustments, Neal shifted so that Peter could crouch down again and lift his ankle.

Looking up at him, Peter was smiling and proud. "I've wanted to do this for a while." Then he put the key in and released the lock. Removing the anklet, he tossed it onto the opposing floorboards from where Neal was setting. Extending his hand, he pulled Neal out of the car and into a hug. "Welcome home little brother, you're a free man."

Patting him on the back, Neal was glad he wouldn't have to return home a criminal. He couldn't reveal that he was an agent and it had all been an assignment, at least not yet, but he didn't want to return in an alias.

Releasing him and patting him on the back, Peter directed him towards the door. "I'm going to grab our bags and I'll be right behind you."

Turning to his brother, Neal was surprised. "Bags? You mean, we're staying for a while?" That was unexpected news.

Grinning from where he was pulling two duffel bags out of the trunk, Peter was enjoying having conned the con with such a special series of surprises. "Yeah, I got it cleared while you were unconscious as a part of your recovery and reform by reconnecting you with your family. As your handler and brother, it was ultimately approved after a little bit of arm twisting by Hughes." Closing the trunk, Peter used his free hand to steer Neal towards the door. "Elizabeth packed for me and Mozzie added to the bag for you before she came to join us so that we'd have our things even if we had to stay for a while. It worked out as we have time to spend reconnecting as a family." Peter squeezed his shoulder before releasing him at the door.

Reaching out and opening the door, Neal was ushered in ahead of his brother to find his parents and Elizabeth standing in the entryway with a sleepy chocolate lab wagging its tail against Luke's leg. Coming in, Peter put their duffel bags in the pile of luggage just inside and closed the door behind them.

"Welcome home, Andy." The group was happy to each give him hugs and congratulate him on his sentence being commuted before he was introduced to the dog.

"This is Hunter. He's the son of friend's favorite hunting dog, but he mostly just hunts for tennis balls with avid enthusiasm." Luke explained as he gave the boy a thorough scratch behind the ears and down his back.

Crouching down, Neal put his hand out palm upwards and waited for the dog to open his eyes and come to meet him.

Hunter first turned back towards Luke looking for more pets and scratches, but Luke directed him towards Neal so Hunter trotted over to meet this new person. Sniffing his hand, he checked out his scent and then moved his way up to investigating his face. Apparently, he decided to welcome this new person as he then proceeded to lick him enthusiastically while Neal shifted to hugging the dog and petting him.

"I take it he's happy to welcome me into the family too?" Neal grinned up at the others before giving Hunter a good pet and scratching himself.

"He's your friend now, once you've petted him like that, he won't let you get away without scratches and pets often." Luke grinned before trying to call the dog back.

Standing up, Neal was surprised to see Hunter remain by his side reluctant to act on Luke's call.

"As I said, he's your friend now. How about another good scratch and pet and I'll put him up for the night? He needs to settle down from the excitement." Luke moved closer to encourage Neal on how to handle the dog's temperament.

Complying, Neal then passed the dog to his father and watched him lead Hunter off to a kennel that he could see in the kitchen.

"He won't stay anywhere if he just sleeps in his normal bed so he's putting him in the kennel for the night so he'll actually get some sleep," Jeanine explained before leading Neal into the living room.

It was similar to what he'd grown up in but yet different. The room had a wood floor and a big carpet in the middle of the room with a couch and chairs arranged around a fireplace. There was a dog bed to the side and a basket of toys so Hunter seemed to remain close to the family most of the time. Above the fireplace was a mantle with a collection of family pictures strewn along it showing images of Peter and him when they were children with Peter's continuing up into adulthood and being joined by Elizabeth.

Coming up behind him, Jeanine leaned into her son. "It's been hard looking at those pictures for all of these years, but we couldn't move them."

Putting his arm around her, Neal comforted her while he looked them over. Picking up a picture of a child Peter laying behind what appeared to be him as a baby, Neal was saddened by how much he wished he could remember growing up with Peter in those early years.

"I wish we had pictures of you growing up with your brother." His mother sighed into his side.

Struck with an idea, Neal knew another thing he needed to collect from his storage unit the next time he was back in the city. "They aren't of me growing up with Peter, but I can get you a few pictures of me through the years. Ellen made sure there'd be some of those for you too." Shrugging, Neal realized that he really needed to tell her thank you the next time they spoke. "She thought of a lot of those little things in the hopes that someday there would be someone else who cared about them."

Sniffling, Jeanine turned her head into his shoulder.

Standing taller than her, Neal was able to hug her and look down into her hair. Laughing slightly, he suddenly had an image of her younger, no gray in her hair yet, and standing with her hands on her hips looking sternly down on him for doing something. Realizing that it was possibly a memory from when he was younger, he couldn't help but laugh harder.

Pulling back and wiping the tears from her eyes, his mother looked up at him in confusion.

Trying to calm down, Neal explained as everyone was looking at him. "I don't know if it was a memory or just my imagination, but I pictured you standing above me looking down with your hands on your hips like I was in trouble for something. Still, I couldn't look down into your hair the last time I was here, so it struck me funny for some reason."

Seeing his humor, Jeanine hugged him again. "Maybe we're still in that head of yours somewhere, because I did that often enough when you were little. Since Peter was old enough to be past your mischief, you didn't learn what not to do from watching him and got into some of the same trouble he had when he was younger." Then pulling back to look up, she had to reach up to touch his face. "As for the changing of time, I didn't have to reach up the last time you were here. Instead, I was still helping you clean unknown sticky stuff off of your face and hands when you came back from playing outside or after dinner."

"He gets into different kinds of messes nowadays. Based on what was said at the diner, I don't think a wash rag is going to cut it." Peter ruffled his hair with one hand while hiding a picture on the mantle with his other hand much to the amusement of those around them.

Having noticed his objective, Neal didn't comment on his tease or his actions, instead, he focused on the mantle to the picture that had moved. Pulling it out from behind another, he smiled at Peter. "Did we often pose in dress shirts and our underwear?"

"That's diaper for you considering the picture, and no, that is something that only particularly happened once. I've always hated that mom and dad kept that one out, my prom date saw it." Peter first teased, but then whined a little by the end.

"Now, now, boys," Luke admonished. "Everyone has embarrassing pictures from their childhood."

"Does that include you?" Neal smirked mischievously.

"None of that sass or I'll send you to your room." Luke tried not to smile at Neal's grin.

"That's a yes then." Neal looked to Peter who mouthed dramatically for him to understand, 'Baby picture.'

"Alright, I think it's time for these rascals to go to bed." Luke tried to avoid the topic and refused to say anything else about it.

"He's right though, it's been a long day." Jeanine yawned. "We've got tomorrow and on into the future to catch up. How about a tour and then we should call it a night?"

Agreeing, Neal was willing to continue the conversations in the morning. It had been a long day indeed.

Taking him for a general tour, Jeanine showed him the dining room, kitchen, the back room used for watching the games based on the television, the mudroom out to the garage, the stairs down to the basement were the storage and laundry was, before they went upstairs. There, the master bedroom was at the end of the hallway by the bathroom, but Neal was more interested in the two rooms belonging to him and Peter.

Standing at the door to Peter's room, he smiled at his brother.

There was basic furniture of a queen sized bed, nightstand, desk, and shelves for books and trophies. It looked like Peter kept most of his childhood trophies at home as there were ones that started in little league and went up into his high school awards. The room was blue with posters of baseball legends on the walls so it was fairly basic for a kid's room, but it seemed perfect for Peter.

Nodding, Neal turned and walked towards his room.

Peter followed him, "What? You just nod at my room and then walk away? What was that about?"

Opening the door to his, Neal didn't look at it at first. Instead, he turned back to see Peter's face as he saw the room over his shoulder. "Your room fits you, but you made a comment before about my room going off of yours so I'm curious. What?"

Clearing his throat, Peter wasn't sure what to say. "I haven't seen your room in twenty years. Mom and dad usually keep the door shut and nothing has been changed. They obviously cleaned recently, but otherwise, it's the same as it was the last time you were here."

Turning, Neal was surprised by how distantly familiar the space felt. The room had a small child's bed, a nightstand beside it, a little desk was on the wall next to a set of shelves with child toys and books next to a box of more toys. "I see that." Walking in, he noticed that the walls were the same shade of blue as his brother's room, but it was the posters around that were more interesting. There were comic heroes and OO7 spies spread around the room. Fingering a spy poster, he wondered why he had it.

"When we were kids, you saw one of the movies and became a fan. According to you, you were Bryce Larkin, and the greatest spy in the world. When we played cops and robbers, you made me the robber while you'd be Bryce and pursue me. It looks like you remembered the Bryce Larkin name as you associated with it in your amnesia, but the greatest spy bit seems to have taken a different turn." Peter leaned against the door and watched him walk around looking at the various things.

Not making a comment, Neal couldn't tell his brother that he had, in fact, become one of the world's greatest spies. "What about the comic heroes?"

Shrugging, Peter didn't have as clear of an answer for that one. "Maybe they're from your nerdy obsession with comics and video games, or maybe they come from your love of heroes? I think that is a part of you that stuck despite the amnesia. Based on what Chuck and Josh said, you've been running around and being a hero while trying to make sure people don't know about it. That suits you far better than being a con artist and thief, but I haven't figured out how it all connects."

Frowning, Neal turned to shake his head at his brother. "I hope to be able to tell you before your go archeologist and try to figure it out, but we'll see what happens."

"So, there is a story to explain that?" Peter leaned forward in curiosity.

"No, I just ran off to be a criminal for no logical rhyme or reason." Neal got a little sarcastic.

Rolling his eyes, Peter commented back. "Yeah, and you walked through what sounded like a war zone to protect a soldier because you could. I've never believed there wasn't a reason, but now I think it's more than the love of the challenge, you're up to something like you were growing up. There just isn't enough information to understand what that something is yet."

Sighing, Neal threw a light glare at his brother. "You're annoyingly perceptive."

Stepping forward into the room, Peter was more curious, "Really?"

"I'm not telling you anything more than that. Remember what mom said, it's been a long day, we should go to sleep." Neal slipped past his brother into the bathroom to get ready as an escape before he said anything more.

By the time he returned, Peter's door was closed so he'd managed to dodge him for the evening.

Walking into his room again, Neal looked at the little bed and how small many of the things were. "I'm going to have to talk mom and dad into letting me update this to something my size."

Lying down on the bed, he had to curl in order to not kick out beyond the footboard. He'd definitely need to do something about that. Drifting off, he started coming up with ideas of things to do and how he'd make the room look if he could get the permission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, leaving kudos, choosing to favorite, and reviewing :D
> 
> Alrighty, plans have changed and I'm going to be going on a short trip starting in the morning. We've been looking to move for some years now and although we've narrowed down the region, we're going to see about the more specific location. Because of this, I'll be gone for a few days and won't be doing my main responses until later in the week when I return. I will have a phone to do what I can, but I won't guarantee my usual quick response. In addition, my posting might get a bit sporadic should our plans fall into place for the move, but we'll see how things go and I'll try to let you know something of what to expect as I know ;)


	10. Forgiveness

*******

Being up before his wife, Peter was surprised to get downstairs to find Neal dressed and getting ready to go for a run.

"Good morning, mom and dad. What are you doing, Neal? I didn't know you run, you know what I mean, you usually swim in the city." Peter frowned at Neal's grin when he questioned his running.

"I run, I got into college on a scholarship for it. You're dressed for it, care to join me?" Neal invited Peter to run with him.

"My scholarship came from baseball, but sure, I'll test my stamina against yours. We both know you're faster, but I've gotten you every time by waiting you out." Peter smiled. Maybe he could get Neal to talk a bit more. He already learned how he paid for college. As usual, he couldn't get Neal to open up and just talk to him so he'd have to wait out the snippets and work to put it all together slowly.

Going out to stretch on the grass, the brothers went through their warm-up routines quietly.

Then starting off lightly, they jogged down the street picking up their paces as they went. Running around the neighborhood, they covered ground getting their work out.

As they were heading home, Neal started to run a bit faster. Catching up, Peter noticed that Neal then ran a bit faster again. Increasing the speed, Neal challenged him until they were both running flat out up the final block to their home. Then, as Peter started to slow down he realized that Neal was still going strong. The kid was faster and had better endurance when it came to running. Coming to a stop, he laughed a little to see that Neal had gone a few houses past and had to come back at a jog.

"Alright, I give, you're the better runner. So, you went to college on a scholarship for running? That sounds like you were a track star." Peter tried to get Neal to give him another piece to the picture.

"Yep, I still hold multiple records in track for my running time in Connecticut and my college. You never would have caught me if it had come down to a foot race." Neal grinned as he wound down from the run.

"Ha-ha, yeah, I get that." Peter pulled a swipe move to catch Neal, but Neal dodged back by spinning away from him, used the momentum to pull a flip over him, and then danced away whistling.

"I'll go get my shower, slowpoke." Neal grinned back at him from the front porch as he opened the door.

Impressed, Peter was glad Neal managed to evade him, especially in such a skilled fashion. The kid was brilliantly talented.

Going inside, he found his parents in the kitchen as they were making breakfast in preparation for the family coming together.

"Andy certainly has the ability to run; he just ran the socks off of me." Peter laughed as he sat down with a glass of juice and the paper to wait for his turn in the bathroom.

Doing the crossword, Peter enjoyed the morning conversation until it was his turn to take a shower and clean up for the day.

When they sat down to eat together, the group dug into a hearty breakfast as his parents were glad to have the house full for a change.

"I'll be heading back to the city after breakfast. My client's event is in two days and I have the final arrangements to make. Then, I'll be back this weekend with Satchmo." Elizabeth led the conversation for a while as she talked about what her event was.

Then the group turned to Neal.

"Do you have anything you'd like to do?" Jeanine asked.

Sitting his glass of juice down, Neal seemed to have some requests. "Uh, I do have an idea, but I also have something I'd like to ask." When he was prompted, he carefully looked around at everyone focusing on their parents. "What would you say if I asked to update my room?"

Clearing his throat, Luke seemed against the idea for a moment, but then he thought again. "The furniture is rather small."

"I don't normally fall out of bed when I roll over. Besides, it would be nice to not stretch beyond the footboard. Peter can attest to my creativity, but that desk would test my abilities." Neal gave them a few examples to help sell it.

Peter snorted but didn't make any further comment. Neal could make the space work to an extent, but he did have a point in the furniture being too small for a full grown man.

Jeanine seemed to be reluctant, but she could also see how it wasn't fair to make a full grown man sleep in a child's bed while trying to keep the memory of his past alive. He was back and he needed to make the space his own. "I supposed, but please don't get rid of anything."

"That's not a problem mom." Neal smiled softly. "I've been missing since I was eight and that was all you had of me. But, I'm not missing anymore, and updating my room to catch up is a good start at filling the gap."

"Do you need any help?" Luke wanted to help his son with the project.

"Some, but I'd like to get some things together and then do a more thorough introduction to who I've become by keeping the overall reveal a surprise. Is that alright?" Neal wanted to get some things in order but he needed Mozzie's help.

Growing curious, Peter wondered what this ultimate introduction would include. Although he wanted the information as it could be shared, even in pieces, he understood Neal wanting to organize his reveal based on information the rest of them were missing.

Everyone else accepted the activity, so when the meal broke up they saw Elizabeth off and then the group started their plans.

"How about you and Andy start pulling things and sorting them, and I'll get supplies with Peter." Luke volunteered Peter to help him make a run for boxes and packing supplies in order to give Jeanine some time to go through the sentimental things with Neal.

Riding, Peter got into the old truck with his father and went for a quick trip.

Returning home, Peter took a load of boxes and a bag of supplies up to his brother's room. Sitting his load in the hallway, he stood quietly watching.

Neal was pulling things out of the closet and passing them to their mother. Some things she simply folded slowly and set aside as being a plain shirt or some staple clothing item that didn't have any special association. Other items, she held them and told some story about how Neal had worn it to this or that, or how it was purchased to match something of Peter's. Most of these were put into a small pile of things she wasn't ready to let go of yet. Then, there was a third stack. They were the things that were covered in comic heroes or were choices more personal to things Neal had picked as a child.

Making his presence known, Peter opened a box and taped the bottom before passing a marker to his mother to label it. While she noted it for donations and put the stack of items no one felt the need to keep, he grabbed the next box.

With three collections started, Peter mostly sat by and enjoyed the reminiscing in between fetching boxes or supplies.

The donations box filled the quickest as most items were staple clothing items that were better served to help someone in need. However, Neal and Jeanine seemed to have two distinct types of sentimental saves. Their mom chose the things that she had fond memories of special events while Neal chose things that showed his youthful preferences for comics and heroes.

Once the toys and clothes had been slowly gone through, the family took a break for lunch before regrouping to tackle the larger items.

Luke got more involved as he helped Peter take the furniture apart and haul it down to load the back of the truck.

Meanwhile, Neal and Jeanine moved to carefully pull the posters down and rolling them in a pile next to Neal's collection. They cleared items off of the shelves and desk before also sorting them. The childish coloring and school supplies were added to the donation pile while the action figures, family pictures, and child awards were added to the keep piles.

Joining in on the efforts to clear the space, Neal then helped Jeanine to pick up her boxes of things to keep and haul them down to the basement. Another trip on his own hauled his collection of items to add to the pile.

Collecting in the nearly empty room, the family looked around. Peter noticed that Luke and Jeanine had misty eyes as they seemed to be dealing with the feeling of loss while Neal's expression was his creative one that said he had plans.

"How about we get something to eat and call it an evening. I'd say we got a lot done for the day." Peter suggested the idea of going out, but Neal volunteered to cook.

Going down to the kitchen, Peter and Luke tried to be helpful but were soon banished to the living room to watch a game while the meal was prepared.

When they sat down to eat, Peter was glad Neal had kept the meal focused on comfort food but with a new twist to show his cooking style.

As they ate, the family conversed about stories raised by their day's activities to talk about special events and Neal's favorite games when he had been little.

After the meal, Neal moved to help clean, but he was directed to the living room to spend some time talking to his brother as their parents knew the routine for cleaning up.

Drawn to the mantle, Peter started looking at the pictures. "You know, it's been a while since I have paid these much mind. I knew what they contained about me in the later years, but I couldn't look at the ones including you without feeling guilty."

Neal joined him and was looking through pictures along with him. Most of them were basic images of them posing dressed up for family photos or school pictures so they were progressing through the years easily enough. Then they came upon one with Peter giving Neal a piggyback ride.

Peter watched as Neal picked it up and seemed to be amused as he looked at it, but then his smile fell and he glanced up at him.

Frowning, Peter wondered what could have crossed Neal's mind to cause the change. "What?"

Putting it back with a shaking hand, Neal turned and walked towards the door. "I think I'm going to take a short walk. Tell mom and dad that I'll be back in a bit."

Watching him disappear out the door, Peter couldn't understand what had happened. Did Neal remember something unpleasant, but why did he look at him like it was his fault?

"Where is your brother?" His mother asked as she walked into the room while Luke came in behind her with Hunter.

The dog had been out in the yard for the day to keep him out of the way, but he was eager to join in the family relaxation time so he approached Peter for pets and scratches before he was willing to go lie down.

"He went for a walk, but I wonder if he remembered something. We were looking at the pictures, but this one seemed to upset him." Peter passed the frame to his mother upon request.

"That was taken a few days after your fight. You seemed to be trying to make up for it, and he pretended to accept your efforts, but I don't think he got over it before the accident." His mother looked sad as she remembered.

Frowning, Peter thought back trying to remember what she could be talking about, but then it hit him. "I called him the most annoying brother in the world and said I'd wished he would go away." Rubbing his hand down his face, Peter knew that Neal might take it in the wrong connotation if he remembered. "He never knew how many things went wrong that day, but what I did to him was the worst part. Andy and I should talk, so I'll wait for him on the porch."

Moving to the swing, Peter sat in the dark without the porch light and waited.

After a while, he heard the quiet sound of someone walking along and recognized his brother's figure even in the shadows. Holding his spot, he knew the kid could outrun him so he had to wait until he could grab him if he tried to run.

Neal wasn't in a rush, but he eventually made it to the porch and paused to take a breath of preparation before reaching for the doorknob.

"Come here, we need to talk," Peter spoke and watched as his brother flinched. His head was well along in healing, so it was more likely that he'd startled the man from his thoughts.

"It doesn't matter, it happened a long time ago." Neal kept moving forwards towards the door, so Peter got up and cover the few steps in between them quickly.

"No, it does matter. Now, come here." Peter got a hold of Neal and steered him towards the swing.

"Peter," Neal started as he was pulled down into the seat.

"No, listen to me, buddy." Peter put his arm across his brother's shoulders. "You don't know what happened that day. You're remembering the time when I called you the most annoying brother and wished you would go away before slamming the door in your face, aren't you?" The flinch and how Neal turned away to hide a sniff was confirmation enough.

Pulling his brother closer, Peter leaned into him for the comfort of his presence. "It was one of those days, you know, the kind where your toothpaste won't go on the brush and gets all over your face, your breakfast lands on your clothes, and you arrive late to school so nothing goes right from the time the alarm goes off until you fall into bed in relief that the horrible day is over. However, there was more to it. I was young and starting into being a teenager so the cute girl laughing in my face after a failed attempt at flirting, doing poorly at tryouts for tripping over gangling legs, and nearly failing a pop quiz because I was too distracted hit me particularly hard. Then, to top it off, I came home in a terrible mood and you simply asked me to play with you. That was it, and it wasn't even annoying as I usually enjoyed playing with you, but for some reason, I blew up at you. After I closed the door though, I threw myself onto my bed and listened to the sound of you retreating to your room to cry next door. And, I knew, it was all my fault."

"It's not like siblings don't fight like that. I've heard all kinds of stories of siblings, and even witnessed some things over the years." Neal dismissed his behavior as normal and tried to shift away from him.

Tightening his grip, Peter restrained his brother. "Most siblings might fight, but you and I didn't, not really. That was the only time I can remember where I pushed you away and got insulting. Usually, it was easy enough to tell you that I had something else going or that we'd do something you wanted to later and you'd find something else to do in the meanwhile. Sometimes you'd follow me around and try to mimic everything I did, so I'd start doing something you didn't like and you'd find something else to do before I got too annoyed. But, we made it work and we got along." Sighing, Peter missed those easy days, but he knew he'd have to work to rebuild that kind of a relationship with his brother.

"Mom just said that you'd pretended to accept my efforts to repair the damage, but you didn't seem to have forgiven me before the accident happened. Now, considering how your hand shook, you went for a walk, and how you keep trying to escape without confronting me for it, I don't think you've forgiven me yet. Neal, you might be annoying sometimes, but you aren't the most annoying brother in the world by any means. And, even if you were, I don't want you to go away. For a time, the day I did that to you was the worst day of my life, but not for long, because the day I lost you trumped it only a week later." Unable to say it out loud, Peter whispered the last part as a few tears leaked down his face, "There was even a brief time where I thought it was my punishment, to lose you for saying such a thing."

Sniffling louder, Neal seemed to be battling for his own control. "I don't even know why it's bothering me so much."

"Does it feel raw, fresh?" Peter knew he hurt for the old memory, but Neal seemed to be being hit by with all the pain and emotions of his eight-year-old self.

"Which doesn't make sense as it's been more than twenty years." Neal reached up to wipe something off of his face.

Leaning his head against his brother's, Peter tried to comfort him. "I'm no expert, but it seems like you're remembering what happened with the full pain and perspective of what you felt when you were a kid. Remember, I could hear you cry through the wall so I know I hurt you."

Reaching up, Andy's fingers touched his face and would have felt the silent tears Peter was trying to hide from him. "But you didn't let me hear you crying, did you?"

Shaking his head against his brother's hair, Peter didn't voice that answer.

Shifting, Neal moved to return the hug. "I'm sorry, Peter."

"I'm the one who is sorry, buddy." Peter kissed his hair before closing his eyes and leaning back into his brother.

Hugging him back, Neal was quiet for a few moments before he whispered. "I'll grant that I'm probably annoying, although not the most annoying in the world. Being an adult, I'm not going to walk around in your shadows and mimic everything you do, I have my own life, but I'm not going to disappear again if I can help it. As for the river, it wasn't your fault. I don't remember to tell you what happened, but I've watched you as an adult, so I know you would have had a strong grip on my jacket as the best grip you could get considering the situation. Don't second guess yourself because something out of your control went wrong." Taking a deeper breath, Neal then said something Peter didn't know he needed to hear. "I forgive you."

Feeling the tears flow faster, Peter was the one who leaned into Neal and cried. This had been about comforting his brother, but things had reversed through the course of their conversation.

Calming down after a while, Peter remained leaning against his brother. It was surprising how comforting it felt to have Neal hugging him as he worked through his emotions. "Thank you."

"Big brothers, little brothers, it's what family is for." Neal hugged him closer again before releasing him.

Rubbing his eyes and trying to pull himself together, Peter worked to get himself prepared to go back inside. Their parents were still waiting in the living room so they'd have to face them at the very least.

Patting him on the back and then leaving one arm across Peter's shoulders, Neal wiped at his own eyes and sniffed a bit while working to pull himself together.

Getting up once they thought they were ready to face the parents again, Peter then pulled Neal into a better hug. "I just realized that I haven't told you in the present tense, but I love you, little brother."

It took Neal a moment to respond, but there was a smile to his voice when he did. "You too big brother, I love you too."

Breaking up the hug, Peter then walked back into the house with his brother right in front of him. Entering the living room, they got the expected scrutiny from their parents, but they smiled happily to see their sons closer with the issue from their childhood resolved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, leaving kudos, and reviewing/commenting :D
> 
> To summarize, my family has wanted to move for some time, particularly since my grandmother passed away leaving us with no family ties to hold us back, but we've stagnated on not knowing where to move, what to move to, and what to do when we got there. This last weekend was a trip to check out an area we were considering, my sister just moved our departure up on me, and although the original point of interest didn't pan out, another area we had never been to before has points of interest. At present, we are researching to see if the area is viable, but so far, housing is a huge hurtle while employment will be a puzzle so there isn't a definite move yet. I don't know what the future holds, but if we do move, there will be disruptions and I'll keep you all updated as best I can. In the meanwhile, my posting will resume normal patterns for now, at least until July when we have the campout with family again and I'll have another extended weekend with an early post.


	11. Reconstruction

*******

Over the following two weeks, time seemed to fly for Neal.

The following morning after working some things out with Peter, Neal was glad to see Mozzie pull up with a rental truck. It meant that he could get to work on his room and wouldn't have to spend much time sleeping on the couch, especially as Mozzie insisted on taking the recliner next to him while listening to his whale music on low.

Going to work, Neal had made the trip that morning to pick up his paint and to make his selections from the local hardware store. He was going to custom build most of the things he wanted so his creativity and his family's handyman skills were going to make a nice mix.

Sending Mozzie up to his room to go over it for electrical and studs, he started on the building process with his father and brother.

They went to work laying out boards and getting the feel for which ones went together with another and which projects needed what.

"Are you sure you want to build everything?" Peter questioned looking at the boards and hardware supplies skeptically.

"This is more fun working together than building a step by step kit. It will fit in the space better while giving options, like those fun hidey-holes that June has built in all through the loft. Besides, as an adult, I've never had my own space to make me." Neal defended himself.

"Alright, then let's personalize this space of yours," Luke said before patting him on the back.

Looking at Peter, Neal waited for him to sigh and shake his head. "Of course you would want hidey-holes. You have too much fun with those." The teasing smile eased the sting of his words.

"You just wish you had them in your room." Neal grinned at him.

"Maybe I'll have to have you help me build some in, but we'll wait to see what you've got in mind before the rest of us will decide if we want them or not." Peter grinned in return.

"Who knows your mother and I might take a few tips. Now, let's get to work boys. We may have a few weeks but there's a lot of work to do." Luke got them focused again and the work began.

Bouncing between tasks, Neal would help Mozzie with construction work in his room to prepare the space before moving back down to help cut wood and piece the items together for the furniture projects with his family.

When the room was prepped, he went to work with Mozzie on painting the space and getting it ready for moving the furniture in.

Then, while Neal finished building the fine-tuned aspects of the furniture with his family, Mozzie started sneaking boxes and oddly shaped items up the stairs.

"What could that possibly be?" Neal overheard his father ask Peter.

"Don't ask, with Mozzie involved it could be nearly anything." Peter laughed before going back to the task he'd been working on.

Hauling the pieces upstairs when they were finished, Neal and Mozzie then did the work to take them the last few steps into his room to be put together in the final stages while Peter and Luke left off the hauling in the hallway.

As he got closer to completing the task, Neal took his mother out for a shopping trip. "There is still bedding, curtains, and a few clothing items to leave here as back up. Peter told me that he keeps some things in his old dresser and so does Elizabeth, so it's fitting I get a few things for the same purpose."

Driving to a larger city, Neal took his mother through various stores to make his purchases and to have her opinion. Everyone had seen the shade of blue on the paint can and the wood of the furniture before it was hauled upstairs, but the rest of it was a bit mysterious.

"Peter said you have high tastes, I believe he called it cappuccino in the clouds?" Jeanine commented as Neal purchased nice sheets.

"My work has exposed me to some of the nicer things in life and my landlady has a mansion so the loft isn't furnished with anything less than antiques, but I'm not as… snobbish, as I might sound. Yes, I'm buying nice sheets and custom building the things for my room, but I'm not spending the funds it would take to get top of the line sheets and antique furniture." Neal went in the middle ground buying nice and solid, but not spending as much as those who knew his Caffrey alias would expect.

With the bedding and curtains chosen, Neal took her to a clothing store.

Leaving her in the suits section, he let her peruse the options and get an idea of what she would like him to buy giving her the motherly pleasure of picking something for her son. As she looked around, he walked through some other departments tossing basic items into the cart for his additional purchases.

Rejoining her, Neal allowed her to subject him to trying on various outfits and letting her pick what she liked on him best. "I see where Peter got some of his tastes from." Neal smiled at her as she chose a nice solid outfit that brought out his eyes. It wasn't as flashy as Caffrey would pick, it was more subtle. "He likes subtle and sedate, something that is comfortable and appealing. My Caffrey style is more flashy and stylish so we clash for the fun of it."

When she offered to make a different selection, Neal refused. "My style is closer to Peter's than he knows. It's about time to prove that to him."

Then when their project was completed Neal took her out to a light lunch before returning home.

Going through some of the remaining items from Mozzie's truck, Neal set his family up with his childhood things from the age of eight to sixteen to look through the general documents Ellen had insisted on him keeping.

"These are the items Ellen insisted I keep for you, but they aren't the collection of things I find more important. Feel free to keep whatever you want." He gave them free rein to treat the items as they pleased.

Meanwhile, he worked on the finishing details upstairs with Mozzie's assistance.

*******

In the evenings, Peter enjoyed going through family photo albums with Andy and his parents while Elizabeth joined in upon her return. Sometimes Andy's face would light up like he was remembering something about his past, and other times he would watch with interest as if he was learning who they were and building memories.

"What's this, it looks like I'm sitting with you drawing or something?" Andy pointed out a picture and turned the page for him to see.

Leaning over, Peter smiled at the fond memory. "One night, I found you trying to do my homework and very frustrated. You asked me how to do the math and in showing you how to do it I understood it better, but then you understood the basics and insisted on helping me. I sat you in my lap where we could work together and Mom took a picture when we weren't looking."

Putting a sticking note on it, Andy flagged it as something he wanted a copy of. "I was placed in an advanced math class in Connecticut. Apparently, what you taught me stuck enough for me to skip a few grades and get special placement in mathematics."

Having noticed a theme, a lot of the pictures Andy marked had him and Peter or him and one of their parents involved. It was rare he noted anything that was just him. Saddened again, Peter realized that Andy had been craving family and connections for years while thinking it didn't exist for him. Now that it did again, he was eager to build bridges and solidify his connections with them.

Finding a bunch of athletic pictures in the album he was looking through, Peter fingered a picture of Andy in a baseball uniform. He used to play and seemed to enjoy it, but perhaps it was one of those things he had done to be with him or maybe his tastes had been changed due to the head injury. Nearly turning the page, Peter found his hand stopped as Andy was leaning over his shoulder.

"I used to play baseball?"

"Yeah, you insisted on putting your pictures next to mine for each year and any award you got had to be put next to any that I got. You also used to follow me to practice and would sometimes retrieve the outlying balls. Coach allowed it as he figured he was working on two stars instead of just one." Peter tried to keep his voice factual, but some of his longings must have leaked through. He missed those days of playing with his brother.

"I can't say I like the sport, but I do know how to play. Maybe it's one of those things I haven't remembered or maybe it's something I did to be with you that didn't remain interesting after the accident. Don't go trying to recruit me to sports, but I'm not averse to playing if you want to some time." Andy had thrown his arm across his shoulders for better support while looking at the pictures with interest.

Reaching up to ruffle his hair, Peter appreciated the gesture. "You don't have to play, but it might be nice sometime to try it."

Andy's interest had changed to the photo album he had as he remained leaned against his shoulder and pointed at various pictures asking why they looked happy or sad and the stories behind that year's games.

Laughing, Peter couldn't help but appreciate Andy's enthusiasm. "Aren't you neglecting the album that's about to fall off of your lap over there? You're only about halfway through it and moving onto the one I'm looking through."

Shifting to move away, Andy stopped and caught his hand as Peter was going to turn the page. "It's easier to look through the same album so you can tell me the stories as we go."

Plus you can be near me. Peter added to himself as he noticed Andy's preference to be close to him, much like it had been when they were kids. "Then pass me that album and we can finish going through it."

Lifting it over after a moment's pause, Andy resumed his position of leaning against Peter to go through the album again.

Grinning up at his wife and parents, Peter knew they were enjoying the situation as much as he and Andy were.

Going through a series of basic family pictures at vacations and general family fun when he was really little, Andy stopped at one. It was one where he looked sad as he leaned against a railing or fence, but Peter was right there as usual and was trying to provide comfort to his little brother.

"I don't remember that one." Peter lifted it for their parents to see.

"Andy hadn't been able to go to the fair with some of the other neighborhood boys as he was only three and too young so he was upset to have missed out on the fun. To try and make up for it, you took him to the park later and were showing him the fish in the pond. That wasn't enough to cheer him up so you started to blow on his cheeks making sounds and a tickling him. Sure enough, within a few moments, he was laughing again and squirming to get away from you. I caught that picture when you were just starting to try and get him to smile." Luke looked at the picture and seemed fond of the memory.

It was Andy's turn to laugh and shift away as he tried to picture that. "I can't picture you doing something like that, but then we were little kids at the time."

Catching him totally by surprised, Peter caught Andy in a headlock and blew against his cheek much like a parent would on an infant's belly to get giggles. Trying to escape, Andy was forced to result to tickling measure of his own to make Peter let him go. When they finally fell back laughing against the couch, Peter was glad to hear the additional laughter as the rest of the family joined in.

Turning to look at his wife, Peter noticed that she was laughing fit to nearly fall off of the couch. Wiping her eyes, she tried to gain a measure of control. "I wish I had a camera going for that."

"Me too, me too," Jeanine was also wiping tears from laughter from her eyes.

The click of a camera had them all turning to Luke.

"I didn't get the main event, but I'd say the three of you laughing is a really good picture to add for future memories." He had his camera but hadn't been fast enough to get the desired picture.

Wiping his cheek, Andy was smiling, but he kept a little bit of distance between him and Peter as he started to look through the photo album again.

Not having that, Peter chose to reverse their positions as he then moved to lean against Andy and look over his shoulder. "That was a good picture. We were at a family reunion and I was giving you a piggyback ride. I think you were telling knock knocks jokes and then laughing at them whether they were funny or not."

Grinning, Andy tagged the picture as he looked at himself laughing with his arms around his brother's neck while Peter turned to look towards him with an amused smile. Then he placed the expected sticky note on the page noting which image he wanted a copy of.

Those evenings were great for family bonding as everyone went through pictures no one had been able to look at in twenty years. They were finding old memories and making new ones.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, reviewing/commenting, choosing to favorite, following, and leaving kudos :D


	12. Reveal

*******

The afternoon before the final reveal of Andy's room, Mozzie bid them farewell. He was heading back to the city and would be waiting for their return but would leave them to enjoy their remaining time reconnecting as a family.

Peter was surprised at how he was actually kind of sorry to see the little man go.

Mozzie had helped Andy with a lot of the work in his room taking the work upstairs while Peter and Luke handled the work in the garage. The little guy was helpful to work with Elizabeth on some of her event details as she worked from the kitchen table while the others were handling their various tasks. When Andy was ready to do the final touches, Mozzie had helped with the lifting and finishing details to complete the surprise.

With Luke and Jeanine, Mozzie had behaved quite well sharing various stories about his escapades with Neal without sharing anything incriminating or too dangerous. Instead, it was meant to give insight into the kid's abilities and heart along with providing a laugh at the more humorous adventures. At times he'd bring up a conspiracy, but he kept to the ones that showed his intelligence and awareness of his environment without diverting too far off into his usual ramblings.

Then, in the evening when they were going through family albums, Mozzie would hang around some, but he often took the exuberant dogs for a walk and play time in the backyard. When they were ready to call it a night, he'd return to let them settle into their beds and join in on any remaining conversations until the family also decided to call it a night.

Amused, Peter understood why Andy tolerated the little man's odd sleeping habits, it gave them both time to talk a bit before going to sleep while also having someone handy to wake Andy up whenever the nightmares struck in the night.

Having walked down for a drink one night, Peter had been the one to wake Andy up once when he was shuddering in terror as he slept.

They all knew that Andy was remembering his childhood and events from the river, but he didn't share the more frightening occurrences with the rest of the family choosing to discuss them with Mozzie instead. That way the family wasn't as worried but he could handle the fears that woke him in the night.

Shaking Mozzie's hand, Peter surprised him by pulling the little man into a hug. "Thank you for taking care of him when we weren't there yet and again now as he shares the things he doesn't want to worry us about. He's lucky to have you as a friend."

"You're welcome, suit. He's lucky to have you for a brother and the rest of your family there to support him." Mozzie hadn't checked himself for bugs as far as Peter saw before he left in the truck, but maybe he wasn't worried about it or he checked himself over later. Either way, Pete was just grateful that the man was always there to support his little brother.

With Andy working on his room and their parents going through Andy's childhood school boxes, Peter had stolen Elizabeth away for an afternoon to roam his home neighborhood and enjoy some time alone with his wife.

*******

Waking up the morning that Andy was finally going to reveal what he'd been doing in his room and 'introduce' more of who he had actually become, Peter was excited to see what it would entail.

Knocking on the wall in between their rooms, he checked to see if his brother was going to meet him downstairs for their morning run. Hearing a grumble to the affirmative, he slipped out of the room to leave Elizabeth sleeping and headed downstairs.

He was met by the dogs with wagging tails and requests for attention so he sat down on the steps where he could be at a more accessible level for the enthusiastic greetings.

Thanking his mom when she passed him the leashes, Peter then hooked them to the dog's collars and got up to give Andy room to come down the stairs.

While Andy hugged their mother and greeted their father, Peter headed out onto the lawn and tied the leashes to the porch while he started stretching.

Andy joined him and they were soon starting into their morning run with each holding a dog leash. Since Andy had proven his speed, he tended to behave and kept a moderate pace comfortable for Peter and the dogs while giving them all good exercise to start their day.

Returning home, they unleashed the dogs to play in the backyard before cleaning up and joining the rest of the family for breakfast.

As was becoming his custom, Andy came down in jeans and a nerdy t-shirt depicting Nightwing's logo. He evaded their curious remarks and laughed at Elizabeth's failed effort at snooping while they'd been out running.

When the meal was finished and the space cleaned for the day, Andy led them up to the hallway where he unlocked the door and showed them in.

Taking his turn amongst the rest of the family, Peter first glanced over the general space. He didn't know the name of the blue or why Andy had chosen it specifically, but it had an old world feel to it that suited his character of Neal the artist. The furniture was all matching wood and the darker shade lent a luxurious feel that was countered by the white bedding and curtails while the art running along the side wall and over the bed added color to the space.

Amused, Peter teased Andy. "I'm not surprised that you preferred paintings over posters." The posters had been printed in various artistic styles onto canvases slightly larger than the originals. They lined up the outer wall showing a collection of heroes from the door to the wall ranging from spies to comic vigilantes. Then the art over the bed was a version of the view from June's mansion.

"I painted the vigilantes and spies in the years I was working with Mozzie, while you were chasing me." Andy was leaning against the wall watching them.

Turning in surprise, Peter studied his brother. "You've been remembering pieces for that long?"

Shrugging, Andy didn't seem able to explain. "I've never stopped being a nerd. Chuck can attest to my fascination with computers, Klingon, and comics even back to how we met in college. It wasn't like I remembered having these posters, more like I thought of pictures of comic characters and spies that I liked and then painted the images on large canvases. Is it a coincidence that they're basically the same as the posters I grew up with or were they memories that popped up, who knows?"

"Either way, the paintings seem to fit you better." They incorporated the varied art skills that Neal had with nerdy Bryce/Andy and his love of the city that defined his brother.

Having taken in the general layout of the room, Peter noted that the bed centered on the back wall with a small nightstand to either side, the window was above the outer nightstand, and the closet followed with the doors changed to match the feel of the rest of the wood in the room. Since Andy had one door open, they could see that he had one of his fancy suits and the one that their mother had selected hung amongst a few dress shirts and slacks giving him a variety of clothes in case he needed something while a few sweaters and coats hung beside them ranging from casual to dressy. Above he had what looked like additional seasonal clothing items for various activities depending on the time of year he was visiting. Then, next going down the wall, there was a tall and lean set of drawers for the remaining items with a mirror above, but it seemed much larger than Andy would need. Finally, there was a set of shelves reaching to the ceiling and spanning to the wall for his various things.

Moving to stand in front of the shelves, Peter looked through the contents. There were several packaged comics and collectible figurines with a mixture of ones that Andy had collected and some newer ones that he must have gathered while he was Bryce. Amongst the books, there were two copies of a Klingon dictionary, various classic novels, mathematics and programming textbooks, and a few law books that he recognized. His trophy collection had more than doubled with the additions either being from his high school or college track records naming Bryce Larkin as the champion in various competitions. Some of the trinkets seemed to be souvenirs that Andy had picked up in his travels as they were materials and artistic styles from around the world incorporated into bookends and other useful items. Finally, there were a few picture frames with images that Andy had picked out contributing from various aspects of his life. Looking through them, Peter noticed that there was one with Andy and Chuck wearing fraternity t-shirts showing their college days, a more recent one showing them with Sarah from their time in his recovery, another had Mozzie playing chess with Andy while his hand was posed in some dramatic statement, there was one of Andy and June singing together that Elizabeth had taken, a work one showed Andy with the team around the conference room table that Peter had taken, and there was a special one of teenage Andy standing in his prom tux with Ellen in a nice outfit taken on their evening out when he was a teenager. Then there was an electronic frame that cycled through a collection of images of their family. Lifting the electronic frame, Peter stood watching it cycle through and recognized a lot of images that his brother had tagged in the albums. However, one cycled past and Peter had to question.

"Did Mozzie take a picture when I was blowing on your cheek?" That had the rest of the family moving to look at the frame wanting to see the image when it cycled back around.

"He might have been standing in the entryway during that conversation and as he'd been taking surreptitious pictures of us, he might have managed to get a shot." Andy as much as admitted that Mozzie had indeed taken a picture.

"I would like a copy, and I think everyone else would like one too," Elizabeth asked as she moved to sit on the bed and watch the images cycle around to see what else Mozzie had taken when they weren't looking.

"Do I need to worry?" Mozzie wouldn't show things to the team or anything, would he? Peter wasn't too worried, but it could be embarrassing depending on what images the little guy had gotten his hands on.

"Mozzie knows he'd be in double trouble if he took any embarrassing images and did anything akin to sharing them around. I think he did keep a nice family picture or two as I saw extra copies, but there wasn't anything embarrassing in them. Mostly, I think he considers me like extended family and you all through me. As you know, he was abandoned as a baby so he doesn't have a real family of his own." Andy thought along the same lines but wasn't worried.

Nodding as he turned for a better view of the final wall, Peter smiled to find that his back had been to a large painting of New York City spanning across and standing tall to fill a large portion of the space.

"So, you themed your room in a mixture of the heroes you've aspired to be like and the city you love. Does this make the city something like your Gotham?" Peter asked his brother.

Grinning, Andy seemed to like the comparison. "You might say that. I know the city has plenty of crime to keep a vigilante or agent busy, but I love the culture and how you can visit the world in one place, it's the concrete jungle so it's an adventurous place with plenty to do, there is a lot of architecture and art to inspire, and it's where a lot of the people who make up my family and friends live. What isn't there to love about it?"

"It does have its appeal." Peter smiled as he thought about the truth of Andy's statement. The city had its issues, which was why he and so many other agents were employed there, but it also had its benefits.

As the group finished watching the cycle of pictures and generally looking around, Peter started wondering where his brother had hidden his hidey-holes. "Are you going to show us the secret hiding spots you incorporated or are we going to be challenged to see if we can find them for ourselves?"

"I'll show you. To start with, The Big Apple here folds down to allow a desk to open." Andy lifted the large painting to release it before lowering it down from the top to reveal a large desk workspace supported by metal bars with mechanisms to make it solid but easy to maneuver. "This way if I need to work cases or want a space to draw there is plenty of room, but it folds up so that I can set up an easel or simply move around in the space."

More interested in the things hung on the wall behind the painting than the desk, Peter looked at the four framed items neatly balance along the wall. "You've got real degrees here. Two are from Stanford for Computer Engineering and Accounting, but the other two are art degrees from Columbia?"

"Two were the ones I pursued as a civilian, and the remaining two were from my preparation in the early years for performing as Neal Caffrey. Although I didn't follow the exact processes, I was able to learn enough for the college to give me honorary degrees since I passed the final tests." Andy smiled at their surprise. "New ones have been printed in the name of Andy Burke and they'll be used professionally, but I thought you'd appreciate the originals here."

Proud of his brother, Peter patted him on the shoulder. "We were proud of you without the college degrees, but I'm glad to see an accounting degree in the mix. I always knew you were smart enough to see the value of math. The extra art and computer things have never made as much sense to me." He then smiled at the frown his brother exhibited.

"Probably about as much sense as your crossword puzzles and baseball make to me. Not to mention your taste for deviled ham." There was a twinkle to Andy's eyes as he teased back and tried not to smile.

"Touché, we have different tastes, but we aren't any less proud of you." Peter hugged the kid and was glad to see him smile.

"There is more though. If you'll get off of the bed, it lifts up to a storage space." He showed them that there was a support beneath the bed that allowed it to lift up for additional storage space without the appearance of clutter as the frame was solid. "This is where I have my canvases and art supplies like the easel and paints. They're out of the way but easily accessible. Also, it fits a foldable chair here for the desk."

Then he showed them how each painting flipped back to reveal either the original posters with extra space for stashing things, or in the case of the loft view, a space built solely for stashing things. The spy painting nearest to the door also had an additional surprise; a tall and slim wall safe had been installed between the studs and was then hidden by the painting.

Opening the safe, Andy took a yellow envelope and a small box out leaving the space empty. Tossing the envelope to Peter, he had him open the contents spreading the pages out on the open desk.

Taking it as instructed, Peter lifted the first document and read that all of Bryce Larkin's files had been officially merged with Andrew Burke's with some being sealed for the safety of the family. Curious, Peter then picked up the next one which indicated that the existence of Neal Caffrey was one of those files being attached to his real name and sealed like it never existed, based on the fact that Andy wouldn't legally be seen as a criminal in most situations. Unsure what to do with that, Peter moved to pick up the next document. It was a recruitment file showing a Bryce Larkin being hired by the CIA when he was in college. There were vague references to heroic actions and legendary feats, mentions of task force operations, and promotion titles like the Agent in Charge and Intelligence Officer. One of the task force operations particularly caught his attention, it indicated that Neal Caffrey had been a character designed by the government for Bryce to play a criminal and lure out the dirty cops from his childhood and other criminals as was suitable to use the character. With that explained, Peter moved to the next document. Reading it again, he read an official transfer form that showed his brother being hired by the FBI. There were requirements for him to do a brief stint in Quantico for a general update on FBI procedures, but then he was being assigned to the lead agent role for Cyber Crimes in New York City.

His brother was going to outrank him in the FBI and leave him for another department? Peter was proud that his brother was going to outrank him, but was sad to learn that they wouldn't work together every day anymore.

"They don't allow brothers to work in the same team, Peter," Andy explained what was obviously on his mind as he tossed Peter the small package.

"Why won't they let you work together?" Jeanine asked.

Opening it, Peter fingered Andy's badge while he explained. "Because Bryce Larkin was recruited to the CIA where he became a legendary agent of some sort and was assigned to play the criminal Neal Caffrey as an alternate version of himself. With his operation apparently complete, he is transferring to become an official FBI agent. Due to things like agents possibly getting killed in the field, it is not allowed to be romantically involved with teammates or to have family members in the same division. Therefore, he's taken the department head role to run the Cyber Crimes Division upstairs." Peter finished explaining with one hand on his hip as he stared at his little brother holding up his badge for everyone to see. The kid had been an agent the whole time, and quite the hero too. "I take it Andy was some kind of alias you used when you were assigned militaristic operations?"

"Yes, and technically I have a military service with rank through Andy as that was required for the assignments taking me to the front lines." Andy sat on the bed with the family.

While the others hugged him and congratulated him on the new job, Peter turned to look at the paperwork again. "Colonel Andy Anderson? It says here you were stationed with the US Army for several missions."

"I was assigned military operations and often bounced behind the enemy lines or around various international locations. Sometimes I would pull a heist to steal data or something for the CIA or as a task force with someone like Interpol which would double as creating a trail of crimes for Neal Caffrey. By working multiple operations at once, it was easier to accomplish a lot in a little over ten years of service." Andy explained like it was a common occurrence for a single agent to accomplish so much.

Moving forwards, Peter pulled Andy up off of his seat on the bed and gave him a hug. "You're one devious and sneaky little bugger. None of this ever crossed our records to connect you to Bryce or Andy, but I'm not surprised to learn that you've hidden so much. Neal was always a shiny con man, but he was missing something, the depth that the rest of you was hiding behind him. Although I'm going to miss working with you every day, I'm proud of you and glad you've gotten a position in the same building at least."

Finding themselves engulfed in a family group hug, Andy leaned into Peter and spoke to them all. "I'm not Neal Caffrey or Bryce Larkin any more, I'm Andrew Burke, Andy, and it's time for me to build my life with the lot of you going forward."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, choosing to favorite my stories and I, reviewing/commenting, leaving kudos, and following :D
> 
> Now, we begin the epilogues :D


	13. Epilogue - New Life

*******

Returning home, Andy felt relieved to set his duffel bag down and simply look around his own space.

As great as it had been to reconnect with his family and as much fun as Quantico had been to mingle with other agents transitioning into the Bureau from other agencies, there was no place like home and having the peace and quiet to do his own thing alone again.

Or, perhaps not so alone, "Hello, Agent Winters. Are you here in an official capacity or as a friend?" Andy quarried to his old friend. Theodore Winters had been his handler for Operation Caffrey, and although the job was finished, he knew his abilities were known to the NSA agent so it was likely he'd be called on again.

"This is just a friendly visit." Mozzie was sitting in one of his chairs with a full glass that he was sipping. "How was Quantico?"

Shrugging, it wasn't challenging to Andy. "It was government training, just the FBI version. I passed all the test and training with flying colors."

Nodding, Mozzie wasn't surprised. "Have you told the team about your new position, or is it still something you're going to surprise them with?"

"It's a surprise. Peter's been back to work for a while, but he's been keeping the team's curiosity at bay saying they'd have to wait until I got back. They think I'm still on medical leave and coming in tomorrow to do desk work. I'm looking forward to flashing my badge and heading off to my own department." Andy grinned at his friend. The team wouldn't see it coming, but that was the fun of it.

"Diana is the most likely to be upset by your deception, but I don't think Jones will appreciate all aspects of it either, however, they're probably going to prefer learning you're actually an agent over finding you guilty of some additional crime." Mozzie made his analysis as he got up and moved across the room.

"Thank you." Andy snorted at the reminder that there were likely to be negative reactions to his reveal. He wasn't amongst people who were used to him being an agent or who had learned little snippets at a time like his other friends and family.

"Hey, we can plan for possible reactions between White Collar and Cyber Crimes and then you can come up with plans for how to handle them." Mozzie switched his direction to set up supplies on the table for a prolonged discussion.

Giving in, Andy moved to unpack while Mozzie set up.

Then refreshed and ready to tackle the potential reactions, Andy pulled up a chair and joined Mozzie at the table.

*******

Getting up in the morning, Andy went about his familiar routine of dressing and grooming for the day before meeting June on the patio for breakfast while Peter showed up early to join them.

"Have you told June yet?" Peter asked as he helped himself to a cup of coffee.

"Yeah, yesterday afternoon when I got back she met me downstairs and I filled her in on what had transpired in the last several weeks." Andy didn't feel the need to reiterate the whole story, Peter already knew the basic information.

"I find it interesting to have a spook around. Byron and I met a fellow we believed might be one back in the day, but they're so mysterious, something like a legal criminal." June repeated the idea of her reaction from the day before. She wasn't thrilled to have an agent living in the house, but as it was still Neal, she was willing to tolerate him and was glad for him rediscovering his family.

Laughing, Peter was amused by her approach. "Considering that he played Caffrey for years, you might not be far off there. We didn't know anything about his agency association until everything that happened recently. I started to wonder when he was associated with the investigation into the cops and turned out to have an agent best friend from his college days, but it wasn't confirmed until he revealed his transfer and all of the information about his legal records."

"He called me a devious and sneaky little bugger." Andy lifted his coffee cup to toast his brother with a smile.

Lifting his cup in response, Peter grinned. "You are a devious and sneaky little bugger. When we were kids, you snuck into my room once after a nightmare and were watching me sleep. I jumped when I woke up to find you three inches from my face."

Amused, Andy smiled as June laughed.

Relaxing, they enjoyed their morning banter until it was time to go to work.

*******

Walking into the bureau, Andy smiled at Peter as the two walked through the security lines and Andy had to be double checked to verify his new identity in the local security system.

When they were cleared, they both moved to the elevator lines to join the other agents. Some greeted Andy as Neal so he conversed generally with several while not revealing his secrets just yet. The White Collar team and then Cyber Crimes were going to be the first to know; then the rumor mill would take care of the rest of the building.

"Hey, Burke?" An agent called across the elevator. "I hear that an Andrew Burke is going to be our new leader in Cyber Crimes, any idea who he is?"

"Yeah, because all Burkes are related, what are the odds of that?" Someone else grumbled from the back.

Smirking at Andy, Peter took the comments. "It just so happens that he is related and I know him, but you'll have to meet him later when he finishes his meetings."

That got several more questions thrown his way, but Peter was able to dodge off of the elevator with Andy when they reached the twenty-first floor while the rest of the car continued up to other floors.

Approaching the glass doors, Peter waited for Andy to grab the other one and then they entered the office together.

Cheers and whistles greeted them as the team welcomed Neal Caffrey back with a banner stung over his desk. Some agents clapped from their desks while others came forward to hug Neal or shake his hand.

When it was quiet enough to talk over the noise, Neal held up his hands to let them know he had something to say. "Thank you, I appreciate everything you guys have done over the years, but I must regretfully announce, that I no longer work in this department and am only here to say goodbye."

"What? Since when is this? No one has said anything about you leaving." Diana crossed her arms and stared at him in question before shifting her glance to Peter. "You knew?"

"So did I, this is official and came down from Washington but they wanted to surprise everyone by telling you directly." Hughes intervened as he came down to shake Andy's hand himself. "Congratulations, on everything. I hear a lot is finally going your way."

"Thank you, sir," Andy shook his hand and smiled at his former boss.

"Feel free to knock on my door if you have any questions. I'm sure Peter would be happy to provide any help he can too." Hughes then clapped him on the shoulder while releasing Andy from his shake.

"I appreciate the offer, and you'd better ring me directly if you ever need a consult." Andy nodded seriously.

"That goes both ways on the consultation; you know we can handle the workload. I'm sure Peter will take care of you if you don't call him personally though." Hughes smiled the threat.

Chuckling, Andy had to agree, "My brother would take it personally if I didn't call him."

"Wait; did you just call Peter your brother?" Jones piped in from the side where he'd come up behind Diana to join the conversation.

With the attention of the office, Peter launched into the story. "Yes, he did. When I was a kid, my family went on a vacation to visit relatives and returned home by an unfamiliar route. We ran into a herd of deer on the road and ended up in the river. After our dad got my door open, I climbed out into the water holding Andy's coat to help him fight the current. Reaching the shallows, I lifted his coat to find it empty, he'd been washed away. For twenty some years, we searched for him not finding a trace and fearing him dead, until the poisoning when he started talking about waking up on a riverbank."

Taking over and sharing his perspective, Andy filled them in on his general past. "I'd been washed down the river over rapids and into debris until I'd been thoroughly beaten and had a head injury. When I woke up, the same group of dirty cops that recently abducted us where talking over me. Between them sabotaging my case and my amnesia, I had no idea who I was and the cases didn't cross over in the missing person records. At what I believed to be eighteen, I went to college, but I was closer to sixteen due to a miscalculation of my age. During my junior year, I was recruited to the CIA in Washington. Although my clearance is above top secret and I can't discuss most of what I did, my identity achieved a lead agent role while I had a military alias with a rank of colonel for special assignments. Now, I know that my real name is Andrew Burke, but I prefer Andy, I remember most of my childhood and have reconnected with my family, and I've officially transferred to the FBI where I will start upstairs as the head of Cyber Crimes. For those of you who remember Caffrey's aversion to computers, I've actually gotten a degree in computer programming with an extensive background as protégé to some of the governments leading hackers and engineers dealing with some of the most advanced computer systems in military and government use. Art is more like a hobby compared to my interested in computers to give you an idea of what I mean."

There was silence at first, but then the group clapped again in congratulations to their family being reunited and Andy joining the FBI for the agent he truly was.

Shaking hands and exchanging hugs, Andy enjoyed the well wishes from various members of the team before pulling his badge and service weapon out of his desk. He'd had Peter carry them up for him to avoid revealing the secret too early.

Shifting to begin clearing his desk and packing things for moving up to his new office, Andy soon found various agents volunteering to help him with boxing his things and then hauling them upstairs.

Teasing Jones as he looked at the tie rack, Andy smiled. "If you want to borrow one you only have to come upstairs. It's not that far and will force a visit."

"I don't know if I'm that attached to ties," Jones said as he placed the rack into a box.

"Ah, so you're just eager to get rid of me. Now I'm going to have to pop in once in a while just to make sure you don't miss me being annoying." Andy frowned playfully at him.

Placing the contents of another drawer into a box, Diana looked up at Andy. "We'll have to get you banned from our department then. What do you think we should do, Jones?"

"First, I'm trained to enter and exit the highest security facilities on the planet so good luck coming up with a security measure secure enough to keep me out. Second, Peter uses me as his personal IT contact and I can restrict my assistance from anyone I so choose." Andy said putting his hands on his hips in mimicry of Peter and frowning at them.

Cracking up laughing, both agents couldn't resist taking a picture of him.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Diana showed the image to Peter. "He's got you down pat!"

"Hey, Peter, can we get a Caffrey pose from you?" Jones asked while holding his phone up looking for a picture.

Putting his hands on his hips and frowning, Peter wouldn't perform.

"Perfect!" Diana snapped a picture along with Jones. "Now we have them both posing the same way."

"Ha-ha, very funny." Peter just rolled his eyes but there was a twinkle as he exchanged looks with Andy. They were both amused and enjoyed the team's appreciation of their family relationship.

When the desk contents were packed up, Andy smiled, "Now I get to go surprise my new team. They know my name, but they have no idea who I am." With a final hat-trick, he waved at them promising to come back for the things after the reveal upstairs. Then he walked out to reenter the elevator for his ride up.

*******

Exiting the elevator upstairs, Andy approached the door to Cyber Crimes and was glad to see that the layout matched the floors below making it easier to know where to go. His office matched Hughes' below and was dark waiting for him to move in while there were several of his new superiors waiting to introduce him to the team.

Opening the door and walking in, he smiled at the team as he moved toward the leaders and greeted them. "Hello, I'm Agent Andrew Burke, but please call me Andy."

It went silent behind him and the entire team looked at him in disbelief. This had to be a joke White Collar was playing on them was the primary comment that he could hear being discussed.

Clearing his throat, Bancroft reassured them, "This isn't a joke. Agent Burke here was recruited to the CIA when he was nineteen and loaned to play Neal for Operation Caffrey. With his work recently finished and his personal situation resolved, he's transferred here to be closer to his family and in response to years of us trying to poach him under his previous legal name." Then gesturing for Andy to take the floor, he gave him room to introduce himself.

Going through his story again, Andy gave them the general run through of the accident, what happened as a result, his recent discovery of his true heritage and the subsequent reunion with his family. "My brother promises to steal me away for lunch as often as possible as he says we've got more than twenty years to make up for. Personally, I just think he's going to miss having me there to work with him every day."

The team wasn't sure how to handle the situation just yet, but they were polite and listened to his introduction while attentively waiting for the bosses to complete their part in the transition of leadership.

Then, just before the bosses were to leave, the team introduced themselves stating their parts of the team and their strengths in the field.

When the bosses left, Andy directed the team to their desks to begin working knowing that it was traditional for the computer nerds to test their new boss with alleged hacks.

Sure enough, the computers went wild and the team moved into action as if there was a serious threat to the agency's security.

Standing still in the middle of the room, Andy whistled loudly to get everyone's attention. Then he took a military pose and held his ground in the center of the space and began speaking loudly. As he spoke, the computers throughout the room responded and began running programs to clear the pranks the agents had set upon them.

Dumbfounded, the entire team stood in shock.

Andy grinned. Clearly, they didn't know about Orion's backdoors into the system. Speaking again, he unleashed the problem that he had prepared to teach them.

Watching as the surprised shifted to fear, the agents began trying to battle the attack not knowing how to combat it.

Speaking in command to the program, Andy froze the onslaught. "Now that we've had this go round, I think it's time to teach you some more advanced processes that haven't hit Quantico yet. My mentor built this system and there are back doors and avenues that most don't know about that can be accessed by anyone lucky enough to trip over them. So far, the security he placed on them has been sufficient to keep the most proficient hacker out, but you're going to learn how to combat these avenues just in case someone gets wise."

Having their full attention, Andy called the team up to the conference room and spent an hour just giving them the introductory information into the things he knew and teaching them hack tricks from his background that would be useful in their careers.

*******

It took a while before Andy was able to return for his things, but when he did, Peter and several other agents were happy to assist with hauling the boxes up so that he wouldn't have to make multiple trips. They intended to see his new office, but also to gauge his reception into the new team.

Entering the space, Andy led the procession up to his office and directed them on where to set his boxes down. Then he freed the agents to briefly gossip with his team while his brother insisted on helping him get a few things settled in, which was his excuse to talk himself.

"How did the introduction and prank go?" Peter asked while handing him the framed prints of his degrees that were signed to Andrew Burke.

"They thought White Collar was playing a joke on them until Bancroft corrected them. Then I went over a summary of the story and claimed that you promised to steal me for lunch as often as possible. That way they will expect to see you around and won't have to feel like you're checking up on me." Andy said as he hung the frames as they were passed to him.

"I have no need to check up on you unless I want to learn a tip or two. How did the prank go?" Peter tried to dodge past the compliment.

"Heard that, don't try to ignore that you would like to get tips from me. Well, feel free to audit any time. As for the prank, my mentor built the system so I know backdoors that aren't officially known by much of anyone as they're most commonly used for Black Ops work. However, considering how many rogue agents have used such means to target and attack both civilian and other government facilities, it doesn't hurt to teach them how to defend against such means." Grinning deviously, Andy shifted to putting books on the shelf to quickly progress through the setup process.

"You left them tongue-tied and out of their element. Well, at least they know now that they can trust you to know your stuff. They're still probably going to have some adjusting considering that everyone in the building knew you as a con artist first." Peter shook his head before sighing.

"It's going to be an uphill battle, but I have a good rapport with your team and a beginning foundation with my own. At least I didn't play a traitor here, that wasn't easy to come back from in the CIA, so it could always be worse." Andy tried to reassure his brother without giving him too much detail.

"Traitor?" Peter questioned pausing in his help to line up the books.

"Yes, it was the reason I was supposed to have you arrest me, so that I could change operations. The enemy had targeted my file and my boss wanted me to infiltrate them. That's when I got Chuck into government work and he ultimately finished taking them down after I was transferred back to playing Caffrey." Andy pulled the last stack of books from that box and lined them up across the shelf.

"Is that why there are multiple records of Bryce Larkin being killed?" Peter spoke softly. "I researched while you were in Quantico, and I came across some information I'm afraid to know about."

Matching his brother's voice, Andy answered, "Yes, I was technically killed by the big guy that pulled you out of the river, Casey, for being a traitor because he and his boss weren't the two people who knew I was undercover. Then the second and last time, I was shot through the back because there was a traitor in my protection team who brought friends. That war is over, and although there is never a guarantee that my past won't come up again, I'll do my best to keep the family and myself safe." Andy finished with an attempt at reassurance through his promise.

Shifting to hug his brother, Peter felt the need for some reassurance in the privacy of the office before he pulled back and helped place most of the remaining items in their places.

*******

With the office generally arranged, the brothers invited both teams to lunch and spent the time answering questions and allowing the teams to talk in an effort to make everyone more comfortable with the changes.

Discussing interests with some of his new team, Andy discovered that a few of them spoke Kingon, there were some comic book fans in the group, and of course, all of them had some computer knowledge and interest so it was easy for him to begin finding common ground to connect with them on.

The White Collar team seemed glad to see Andy establish himself for the agent he was while also developing a closer relationship with his brother for their shared connections and history.

Many of the agents had questions for the brothers either about themselves and their connections, in regards to information about Neal and the chase, or about the agent and information about who Andrew turned out to be.

Jones had one of the most interesting reactions as he sat quietly eating and thinking. Then in a gap, he managed to slip his question in for Andy. "You said in the office that you had a military identity and we researched what name you grew up under. You're that Andy, aren't you?" At Andy's nod, he continued. "Wow, I didn't see that coming, but then again, Diana seemed to recognize your other alias now that we know you were CIA and Hughes has connections into those fields so he probably knows something of the connection too. Peter's right, you are a sneaky and devious bugger, but you've saved our lives more times than we can count with those skills." Lifting his drink in a silent salute, the agent dropped back into the general conversation but Andy knew their friendship would never be the same. Now they were more like war buddies and that had a greater foundation than an agent and a consultant.

After it had been pointed out that Diana might know something, she lowered her sandwich. "I've heard rumors of a daring agent pulling off the heist of the century. Andy's more like Caffrey than he might want us to realize." She teasingly jabbed at him before going back to her meal.

Passing the time, they were soon dividing up back at the office and returning to their new normal routine.

*******

At the end of the day, both brothers put in some extra time to make up for their more lax morning as they introduced their story to their teams and got everyone adjusted to the change.

Riding the elevator down, Andy talked about how his team had adjusted to the change well and how much he liked getting back into computer work.

Amused, Peter tuned out some of the more technical 'computer stuff' while trying to learn some of the foundation information. He was proud of his brother and glad that the new position was working out for him so well.

"Care to join us for dinner? El will want to hear about your first day." Peter offered the usual ride and the comfort of home and family for the evening.

"Sure, it will be easier to tell her first hand. You don't know how to explain it right." Andy teased while accepting the offer.

"She won't understand all the computer technical stuff any better than I do, you'll have to regale Mozzie and Chuck later if you want someone more capable of understanding your technological genius." Peter clapped him on the shoulder as he guided him out of the car.

"Jones understood some of it at lunch and Diana seemed amused, but yeah, White Collar and our family aren't the crowds for computer jokes." Andy agreed lamenting their deficiencies.

"You're definitely special Agent Burke." Peter grinned at his pun while Andy snorted and rolled his eyes. "Special Agent Burke, you're special."

"You didn't have to explain Peter; I got it the first time." Andy knew his brother would never understand his love of computers but they had plenty of other grounds to bond over.

As they exited the FBI, they left their remaining work for the morning. Their first day in the new arrangement had passed and they had many more to look forward to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, choosing to favorite, following, leaving kudos, and commenting/reviewing :D
> 
> We're back around to the campout with my aunt, uncle, and second cousins so I will be gone for a few days and then I'll respond to reviews when I get back later in the week.


	14. Epilogue - You're Invited

*******

With life settling back down into a new familiar pattern, Andy knew it was time to act on a previous plan.

Going to work, he started by picking various recipes for snack foods that would appeal to both Peter and Elizabeth without being anything too difficult to eat and enjoy hanging out as siblings.

Next, he went to work deciding how to make the arrangements for the space. Consulting June, he got her opinion on ways to make comfortable sleeping arrangements for adults and lighting to add a magical atmosphere without aiming for a romantic air. A lot of white and blue string lights were the ultimate decision with a mini disco ball in the center casting a variety of lights over the space.

Since he had taken most of his storage unit contents to his parents' home, only a few items were transferred to the loft for his personal comfort. His childhood gaming systems and games were still where they'd been left twenty years before so the later editions he'd gotten were transferred to the loft for entertainment at home along with some other entertainment and his growing collection of family photos he wanted to keep close. Peter knew he was still a nerd, but these were newer gaming systems that he probably had never played, he hadn't expected Neal to play video games so the pastime would have been surprising until recently, and it had been something of their youth that they hadn't tried again as adults. Keeping a mix of board games on hand as well, Andy hoped to keep them entertained.

With the basic plans in place, he was a bit nervous. A sleepover with friends was something he didn't remember having so although he was safe with his brother and sister-in-law, it was still something of a rite of passage.

Typing up an email and sending off his invites, he sent them each one to their personal address.

It was no surprise when he got two RSVPs that they'd be delighted to spend their weekend with him.

*******

When Friday rolled around, Andy waived Peter's offer of a ride off. "You've got a date night with El. I'm making sure you don't neglect that sister of mine." He smiled at his brother. "Besides, I'll see you both at my place tomorrow night."

After trying to offer one last time, Peter clapped him on the shoulder and headed the opposite direction towards his car.

Turning to start walking down the street, Andy enjoyed the liberation of having a weekend before him. He didn't have to go do casework for the CIA, no mission to slip in unnoticed, and it wasn't likely that any of the agencies would feel the need to call him for any reason. It was actually going to be a free weekend.

It was a good thing he was having Peter and Elizabeth over or else he might not know what to do with himself.

For years, he was either working a mission, juggling multiple operations balancing various parts of the jobs simultaneously, or resting up before he got hit with the next series of challenges.

Whistling a little bit, he smiled to himself as he enjoyed the prospect of doing whatever he wanted for the evening before spending a nice weekend with his family.

Since he'd been back, he made sure Peter was home in a timely fashion by stopping off at White Collar on his way out and dragging his brother out if he didn't have something dire keeping him there. Then, he encouraged Peter to occasionally pick up random things for Elizabeth and often helped him figure out a few possible ideas while leaving the final decision up to him, and it was an establish note that he encouraged them to have a romantic date night at least once a month just to reconnect as a couple without work or him interrupting. Things didn't always work out, but he knew he was the romantic one of the brothers and Elizabeth had told him to keep it up while Peter had appreciated Elizabeth's responses to the extra attention.

Smiling, Andy was glad to no longer be a distraction as Peter chased him or regularly checked his tracking data. Instead, they were able to relax and enjoy themselves.

Seeing an empty taxi, he whistled and waived signaling that he was looking for a ride.

*******

The loft looked playful and ready for a kid's dream party.

There were lights strewn about and the disco ball in the middle to add to the atmosphere. Per June's suggestion, there were two mattresses placed on the floor in front of the glass doors for the view with piles of blankets and pillows for comfort. The television was ready with a gaming system hooked up while a pile of board games was handy just in case.

Then to the side, Andy had set up a miniature buffet with a variety of adult-friendly snack foods and drinks to suit his siblings' pallets while keeping in mind the evenings intended activities.

With nothing else to do, he checked the clock and realized he was ready twenty minutes early. Although they might come soon, they weren't expected for a little while.

To his relief, June knocked on the door and came to look the place over. "I think you've got this whole sleepover thing down even without the practice. You'll do just fine, Andy." She smiled and encouraged him.

"Thank you. I didn't have a lot of friends before I was eight so it was mostly Peter that I hung out with, in Connecticut I was a stranger, and in college, Chuck was already my roommate. There hasn't been much reason for things like sleepovers or parties in my life, but I'm glad Peter and Elizabeth are willing to give me something of the experience." Andy shrugged a little nervously. He still felt a little silly doing what was often construed as a childish activity and one he had no experience at to boot.

"Adults can do sleepovers but it's just not a common thing to do after a certain age, especially once people are married or have kids because life gets more complicated. Still, doing it as a bonding time between you and your siblings is a great idea as it helps you connect and retain a close friendship with them." June patted his arm comfortingly while admonishing him for worrying when there was no need.

Then hearing the voices of Peter and Elizabeth approaching with an exuberant Satchmo, June gave Andy a hug before greeting his guests and leading Satchmo away for his time spent with Bugsy at a doggy sleepover.

Smiling to see Peter's and Elizabeth's expressions, Andy was glad he'd gone with all of the lights and extra details as their surprise and admiration was worth it.

"Welcome to the loft," Andy bowed and swept his arms out in a dramatic flourish.

Moving to set their bag down to the side, Peter lowered his load while still looking around. "I see June helped you go all out. Did she do things like this for their girls and granddaughters?"

"Yeah, she's the queen of sleepovers so she was a huge help in figuring out what to do that was adult appropriate but still with a touch of magic to make it fun." Andy shrugged while watching their reactions as they adjusted.

"I love it. This could be inspirational for an event, although maybe not the mattresses, but the lights, food, and entertainment ideas. They'd be nice for a cozy family get-together one of my clients is considering." Elizabeth boosted his confidence with the intent of imitation.

Andy was sure she'd do something more elegant, but he appreciated the compliment all the same. "You know where to find June."

Shifting their attention, he pointed out what was available to eat and drink, the entertainment, and the general idea of the evening for sibling bonding.

"We'll get changed into our pajamas and then join you for a board game at the table. I think that would be easier for eating and drinking than playing video games over there. Then you can challenge us to some Mario Karts or something after we've mostly eaten so we won't need breaks for food." Elizabeth kissed his cheek before getting her pajamas and heading for the first turn in the bathroom.

Checking out the food, Peter was already grazing a little on what appealed to him most.

"You can grab a plate you know," Andy smirked as he teased.

"It doesn't hurt to try it first," Peter answered although he complied and grabbed a plate to begin fixing his food. Then he left it at the seat he chose for himself before taking a turn in the bathroom to change.

Elizabeth started looking through the selection but she was more interested in the recipes and trying everything than being as particular as Peter.

Once they were ready, the three sat down at the table in their pajama pants and t-shirts with their plates of food and preferred drinks.

"Aggravation?" Elizabeth questioned the choice in game.

"Do you object?" Andy held off rolling to see who went first.

"No, it's just not one I've played in a while." Elizabeth picked up the directions and read through them with Peter while Andy munched on his food waiting.

With the gist of the rules down, they rolled and Elizabeth went first starting the game.

As they made their circuits around the board trying to get their people into home or getting sent back to base, they talked about whatever crossed their minds.

"What would you think about me getting a puppy?" Andy asked while moving his piece.

Rolling his dice, Peter counted his spaces and passed them on to his wife for her turn. "It's a big responsibility. I know you're more settled now and could probably manage it, but are you sure?" Peter then asked.

"We always had a dog when we were kids, and I've loved them since but couldn't remember why. Now that I do, I'd like to have a dog around. June has given her blessing on whatever I choose so that isn't an issue. Although the loft isn't large, there is the terrace and I run daily which would give it some options for exercise. I've started doing some research, but I was wondering what you thought and if you had any suggestions." Andy looked to them as dog owners and trusted advisers on the subject.

Having rolled a few sixes, Elizabeth had been playing and then landed on Andy sending him home. "Do you know what breed you'd be looking for or are you planning on adopting and seeing which one appeals most?"

Sighing as his only available player was sent home again, Andy took the dice and attempted to get out. "I have thought about both, but if I went for a specific breed I seem to lean towards a lab, likely a black lab." Rolling useless threes, he stuck his tongue out at his sister before passing the dice to his brother. "Be glad I'm not cheating to make sure I get the numbers I want."

Laughing, Elizabeth wasn't daunted; it was only a game after all.

"She's lucky when it comes to board games and dice. If we ever go to Vegas, I'm having her do the tossing." Peter commented while trying to make the best play he could.

Calming down, Elizabeth had an idea. "Ooh, if you got a black lab you could name it Midnight Renegade."

"Maybe Renegade, but I think Midnight Renegade would be too long. Satchmo isn't nearly so long and you call him Satch a lot." Andy commented on the name idea.

"It sounds like you're pretty serious." Peter passed the dice and stopped to observe Andy.

"Yeah, but I'm also not certain. I mean, my work isn't as busy anymore and I can manage taking care of one most of the time, but what about the times there are those long cases or other challenges?" It would be nice having a companion around the loft while a dog would help provide additional security as he also had plenty of enemies in his background.

Discussing the details of dog ownership, they passed the time playing games and checking out his place with the eyes of dog parents pointing out things he might want to rearrange or reconsider.

Once they'd eaten and were ready to change activities, Andy led the way to the couch where he had the television and gaming system set up.

"Have either of you ever played before?" He turned on the television and showed them his collection of game options.

"I haven't played video games since before you disappeared." Peter sat looking at the games and controls.

Elizabeth picked up a game and passed it to him determinedly. "I've played with friends back in school, but not regularly or recently."

Switching games, Andy loaded the console and started through the process of playing the game.

"Video and computer games were things I could do by myself when the weather was poor and Ellen was having one of her bad days where her injuries were acting up. I found that I liked them so I indulged from time to time. Then in college, I met Chuck, a fellow nerd, and we spent a lot of time programming, playing games, or going to the on-campus movies when a favorite played. He isn't much of a partier and I was okay with staying in the frat house most of the time as we often had various game challenges against each other. When I was recruited, this stuff got put into a storage unit after college and has occasionally moved to go to Washington and then up here to New York as my main anchor points changed. With life settling down though, it's the first chance in years that I've had to enjoy my interests instead of portraying whatever alias I'm currently assigned or have a few days to transition from one person to the next." Andy was partially focused on the game and partially still adjusting to the new circumstances where he could enjoy being himself.

Defeating him for the round, Elizabeth leaned into him playfully before he turned to look at her in surprise while Peter mirrored him on the other side. "We're glad you can finally be yourself, but you seem to be more out of practice than I am."

"You've played more than a little several years ago," Peter commented to his wife surprised at how well she'd done.

"Games are made to be easy to remember the patterns and this was the only game my friend had. I didn't play it often or in a long time, but we played for hours when we did." Elizabeth grinned deviously at their surprise.

"Well, at least I know which one to practice on if I'm going to beat you. Maybe we should have game offs once in a while so you can keep in practice and we can catch up." Andy smiled amusedly at her secret talent.

Playing for a while longer, Andy opted to change the game to give them some variety while pulling one Peter stood a chance at.

"This is more like I vaguely remember." Peter adapted more easily to the game and Elizabeth was more on even grounds with them making it a fun challenge to pass the controls between them taking turns.

As the evening drew on, they had long ago taken a break to watch the sunset and it was getting to be time for bed.

Taking turns through the bathroom again, they shifted to the mattresses where Peter and Elizabeth shared one while Andy lay by himself on the other one. From their reclined positions leaned against the pillows they could see the lights of the city up into the darkness above.

"Where did you learn to enjoy the finer things in life?" Peter asked Andy out of the blue.

"It depends on your definition, but if you mean cappuccino in the clouds, I think a lot of that came from the CIA." Getting comfortable, Andy settled into a storytelling mode. "In missions, I've been to lavish parties around the globe, snuck into palatial mansions, and strolled through museums of the most famous collections. Although I've seen some over the top things that are far beyond reasonable, I've also seen a lot of things that are an idea of what I think of in a solid home. No, I don't need statues and costly antiques; you've seen the remake of my room. Real is more my style. Not compressed wood pulp covered in tape, but a solid piece of wood that gets character if it gets scratched and not damaged, something that will stand the test of time. Through my Caffrey character, I copied a lot of the masters, but I want art that shows the heroes that inspired me or the places that feel like home. There is a beauty to be seen an admired in those antiques and masterpieces of art, but they aren't worth the crime it takes to get most of them while they aren't necessarily me even if I could afford some of them legally." Propping himself up to see them, Andy continued. "When it comes to the taste of a good coffee or a well made and healthy meal, they're worth a little extra expense. They say you are what you eat and healthy food with exercise can be the difference between life and death in the CIA. Then after having experienced being a prisoner of the enemy, enjoying the little things like a cup of coffee are sometimes the best things of all."

"That makes a lot of sense." Peter murmured as he thought about what that entailed. "You were a prisoner of the enemy?"

"Yeah, I was, a few times. Between military and black ops, there are a lot of dangerous things in my past. Usually, the trouble was caused by traitors from within who caught me, but a few times either an enemy agent was more capable and prepared than expected or someone just got lucky while my luck ran out. I was always rescued or escaped so there is nothing too daunting in the way of permanent damage. Mostly, I just have some faded scars from old injuries long healed." Snorting, he added, "Perhaps some painful reminders as I get older to look forward too, but that goes with the territory."

He heard the reactions as both of them shuddered not wanting to imagine what that history could entail. Choosing to distract them, he chose to regale them with tales from Peter's pursuit with dramatized comedy to get their minds to a better place before sleep.

Eventually, though, he heard them both stop reacting to his stories and as his eyes were getting heavy, he opted to let go and drift off to sleep himself.

*******

Waking up in the night, Andy heard Peter mumbling and shifting about in distress. He was having a nightmare.

Getting up and shifting around to Peter's side of the mattress, he heard Elizabeth wake up and ask what the matter was.

"Peter appears to be having a nightmare," Andy answered at a soft tone unafraid to wake her up and intending to get Peter's attention.

He was shaking Peter's shoulder when the agent started asking for someone to help Andy, that he was a prisoner.

"I was afraid that was something that would stick. Come on, wake up, Peter." Andy resorted to slapping him into wakefulness.

"Who, what was that for?" Peter came up off of the mattress in surprise and then holding his cheek as he realized he'd been slapped.

"You were having a nightmare and were in a panic so I couldn't wake you up. Breath, Peter." Andy instructed as he tried to get his brother to relax after the scare. "It was just a nightmare, I'm not a prisoner and neither are you two. We're having a sleepover at the loft, remember?"

Holding Elizabeth's hand while he leaned into Andy, Peter seemed to be trying to regain his focus and calming down.

Once Peter was more relaxed, Andy hugged him and leaned him back down towards Elizabeth who cuddled into him to provide comfort as he drifted off.

With peace restored, Andy moved back over to his mattress and got comfortable again. Due to Peter's snores already rumbling, he opted to put a pillow over his head to help him get back to sleep.

*******

Waking up to Elizabeth shaking him, it appeared to be Andy's turn at the nightmares. He was laying splayed out on his bed ready to launch himself off in either direction depending on which escape path proved the more optimal to pull himself away from the threat.

Trying to calm his breathing down, he asked Elizabeth what he'd been doing.

"You had a pillow over your head, probably due to Peter's snoring, but it seems to have triggered something as you were fighting like you were being pinned down." Elizabeth sat on the edge of his mattress with her hand resting next to him.

Remembering some of what it was about, Andy didn't want to give her any nightmares so he refused to go into detail. "They weren't always nice to me when I was a prisoner. The conversation earlier must have brought up some memories." Loosening his grip, he physically worked to calm his fight or flight reaction and turned back onto his side again. "Thanks for waking me up out of it, but I'm alright. I've dealt with things like this off and on for years. The agency has required treatment for when the worst happens, but although the wounds heal, there are still scars."

Leaning over against his arm, Elizabeth tried to offer some comfort now that she knew he wasn't going to react. He could feel her tears drip down his shoulder and knew he'd upset her.

"I'm sorry; you didn't need to know that." Andy thought a balance of truth with vague obfuscation would suffice, but maybe he needed to keep quiet more.

"No, I want to know an idea of it. I know clearance levels restrict you and the horrors of things you've seen would make you want to keep quiet, but we'd like you to talk to us, even if you have to be vague and only dance around the idea of what is on your mind." Elizabeth refused to let him regret sharing with her.

Reaching up to hold the back of her head, Andy tried to comfort her some. "I won't go beyond vague notions at best; you don't need to know the things I know either for your safety or sanctity of mind," Andy promised to protect her while leaving options to let them in some if needed.

Calming down after a while, Elizabeth shifted to kiss his cheek and then she returned to bed where she cuddled into Peter for her own comfort this time.

Drifting off again, Andy didn't put the pillow over his head and instead was grateful to his sister for making Peter shift position and stop snoring, if only for a little while.

*******

Sleeping in, the three were lazy about getting up after a late night and interrupted sleep.

Once they were up, June was happy to have them join her on the terrace for breakfast while the dogs were happy to go for a walk with the brothers.

Returning to the loft, they helped him pick up and return the space to its normal function before getting ready to return to their own home.

Pulling Andy aside, Peter said, "Elizabeth told me about your nightmare, and although I hope they weren't torturing you like they were in my nightmare, I'm afraid it might have been worse if for nothing more than the fact that it was real." Hugging him, Peter added, "I don't care what time of night it is if you need to talk, to be reminded that you aren't in one of those situations anymore, give me a call, I can come or just talk, whatever you need."

Grateful for the offered support, Andy hugged him back. "Thank you, but like I told Elizabeth, I'm alright. The injuries have healed and only the scars remain."

"My offer still stands." Peter gave him a final pat on the back before pulling away. It was time to retrieve Satchmo and head home.

Giving Andy a hug, Elizabeth extended the same offer knowing he wouldn't make use of it unless absolutely necessary. "We're family; don't try to protect us at the price of hurting yourself." With a final kiss on the cheek, she joined Peter in leaving with the promise to see Andy later in the week.

Turning to see his home back to normal, Andy was glad he had taken the risk. It had been a fun success and he'd grown closer to his siblings for the quality time spent together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, reviewing/commenting, choosing to favorite, and leaving kudos :D
> 
> We're back from our trip and I appreciate the well wishes :D Some of my family has talked about possibly taking another trip later this month or next to see about potential places to move again, but we'll see, the place we like has no housing available in our price range/standards so we're still trying to find options. In the meanwhile, I have no more travel plans at the present so we're back to normal posting routines. This story has a few more chapters and soon it will be time to take votes on my next post, so feel free to check out my completed list on my fanfiction.net (KeJae) profile page to see what might be appealing.


	15. Epilogue – Observations of Romance

*******

It started with Sara Ellis marching in and heading almost directly for Hughes' office with only a brief pause to knock on Peter's door and a wave for him to follow her.

Locking his computer and putting the open folder he'd been working on away, Peter was up and close behind her as they started a closed-door meeting with Hughes. Catching up quickly, Peter understood that Sara had a case for them.

Picking up the file, he started to peruse what the data contained in it while Sara explained some additional details to Hughes.

The information was heavily computer related and some of it went right over his head. "This is also a Cyber Crimes case?" Peter looked up at her to make sure he was catching the details right.

"Yes, we believe there is a hacker involved that is probably headlining their caseload. I figured I'd start with your team and you can bring them in if you feel the need to." Sara explained.

Snorting, Hughes waved Sara's glance away before pointing at Peter. "Go ahead, call him."

Pulling out his phone with a grin, Peter waited for Andy to answer before telling him that they had a case for him. "Its computer heavy and from Sterling and Bosch Insurance so we've got a task force starting up. Come join the powwow in Hughes' office."

When he disconnected the call, Peter updated the others. "Andy is finishing up what he's working on, but he should be down by the time we bring the team into the conference room."

Passing the time until his brother was ready; Peter and Hughes worked with Sara to set up a game plan.

After a while, they called the team into the conference room and were getting ready to update the team when Andy came off of the elevator and walked up.

"Good timing, here's the case file and our current approach plans. Skim over them and let us know if we need to make any adjustments." Peter passed him the folder while he was setting up the information for the team to see as a whole.

"Caffrey," Sara spoke to Andy but he didn't seem to hear her. Lifting her head to look at him, Sara seemed to be surprised that he wasn't smiling or flirting with her. "Neal?"

Rolling his eyes, Peter realized that Andy was too focused on the computer related stuff to even notice her. Looking up at his brother as well, he noticed that Andy's attention was totally focused with a slight frown and furrowed brow as he read the file.

"He's gone, Sara. You'll have to wait to talk to him until after he gets his nose out of the file, and even then it might be iffy." He lowered his voice down to a mutter as he wasn't sure how his brother would respond. As kids, he was more focused on his interest than the neighborhood girls, but was he still that absorbed in computers as an adult? Caffrey was a flirtatious playboy, but also a character. This would be another interesting insight into who his brother had become.

Smirking, Diana saw Andy's focus and Sara's efforts to get him to answer her questions. Ribbing Jones to get his attention, she nodded towards the entertainment before glancing at Peter.

Shrugging, Peter didn't know how Andy would react or what Sara would do.

Having the information ready, Hughes took the lead position and glanced at Andy. "Is he even aware we're in the room?"

Looking up, Peter shrugged. "Probably not, now that we know who he is, I can attest to this having been normal to him as a kid. I used to have to cover his eyes or something before he'd come out of the focus because he couldn't see the source of his attention anymore."

Complying, Sara lifted a folder and put it in Andy's face between him and the papers he was reading.

Jumping, slightly startled, Andy pushed the folder away from his face and looked around with a slightly befuddled expression. "Did I miss something?"

While laughter erupted in the White Collar team and Sara looked perplexed, Peter explained. "Yeah, we're ready to start the meeting but as you weren't responding to Sara or aware of how many people were observing your studious focus, you became the distraction. Are you with us now?"

Having reached the end of the notes anyway, Andy slapped it shut. "Hello, Sara, I have no idea what you were trying to say before, but we can catch up in a little bit." Then he got down to business working with the other leaders to update the team on what was going on and their intent on how to handle it.

When the meeting broke up, Sara was staring at Andy. "What happened to you? Everyone is calling you Andy and suddenly you're a whizz with computers?" She hadn't been around in a while so she was behind on what had occurred.

Giving her a summary, Peter and Andy caught her up on their shared history and the truth behind Caffrey.

Sitting her things down, Sara wasn't sure she trusted them. "You're an agent, always have been, and now you're the head of Cyber Crimes while being Peter's brother and having a background in computers?"

"Yes, apparently, people have been trying to poach him for years but the completion of his other assignment playing Caffrey and the discovery of his past brought him over." Hughes summarized that it was facts and not a joke before he moved back to his office.

Gathering his things up into an organized stack, Peter listened as Sara picked up a conversation with Andy.

"You aren't mad at me?" She wasn't sure why he'd ignored her.

"No, what makes you think that?" Andy questioned before answering himself. "Oh, when I wasn't paying attention and you said something? I was just focused. What were saying anyway?"

"Nothing really, but I didn't know what to make of your reaction. I was expecting Neal's flashy smile and flirtatious remarks." Sara looked a little embarrassed by her mistaken perception.

Shrugging, Andy smiled at her. "I can do the flashy smile and flirtatious remarks, but I prefer to be more myself now that I can."

Her expression fell slightly. "That's probably best so that there isn't confusion about what you might actually be thinking." Then she left to get her portion of the operation in order.

Frowning, Andy seemed to sense that something was off with her remark, but he didn't say anything.

"Something wrong?" Peter questioned knowing that his brother was far better at reading people than he was.

"Not professionally, but I think there was something to that comment." Andy turned to watch her walk through the office until she was beyond his sight.

"We're working together for a while so you two will probably have some time to figure whatever it is out." Peter tapped the pile against the table to make sure it was lined up and ready to be put away.

Grunting lightly, Andy didn't seem to be paying much attention to him.

Smiling to himself, Peter hoped that his brother wasn't completely oblivious to the potential between him and Sara.

*******

Meeting for the sting, Peter was going in with Sara and Andy so he was present for their effort to gear up. Due to the situation, they were all wearing wires and pretending to be the target, his bodyguard, and the secretary. Andy was taking lead as the charming target while Sara played the secretary which left Peter to play the bodyguard.

Listening, he grinned as Sara asked Andy about the Raphael she'd pursued for so long.

"You'll have to take that up with Washington for two reasons. I was sent to retrieve it for what was smuggled with it, while it won't be returned due to the original provenance papers that weren't forged." Andy smirked.

So, that was why he'd stolen that particular piece. It was like putting together a giant puzzle with tiny pieces that had an extra white layer of paper to hide the details. The task was likely impossible to complete, but Peter couldn't help trying to at least understand what he could.

With their gear set, Peter noticed that Sara seemed to be reevaluating her opinion of Andy for himself instead of as his role.

"He's a lot different than the character he portrayed." Peter put in on his brother's behalf which caused Sara to look to him for further information while Andy frowned at him. "We're all very proud of him, but he doesn't like us to brag on his behalf." Patting his brother's shoulder in passing, Peter left them to figure out what to make of it; he'd done his part for encouraging Sara to investigate.

Hearing them follow along behind him, Peter took his position in their ride and waited for the other two to catch up so that they could leave. They didn't seem to be talking, but there was an awkward air between them so it took them a moment to catch up.

Arriving at the warehouse, they exited the car and walked into the facility while their teams monitored the situation from the van with backup.

Entering the warehouse, they met the seller standing with his counterpart. One stood in an expensive suit proving him as the frontman while the other stood in khakis and a plaid button up that hung loosely over a nerdy t-shirt making him the hacker.

"Do you have the product?" Andy took the lead and made the deal with the suspects while Sara stood behind him and Peter held the briefcase full of money to the side.

"Yes we do, but we aren't going to be selling to you." The frontman snapped his fingers and several other people popped out from various locations dressed in black like ninjas. Although they didn't appear to be armed, they were probably capable of doing some serious damage with their numbers alone.

Sighing, Andy remained in the lead.

Peter hadn't seen his brother show any of his black ops or military skills so he was interested in seeing how the situation would play out. He knew Andy would make sure they held their own until backup could arrive, but how was the question.

Acting completely unfazed, Andy walked closer to their suspects. "I don't appreciate intimidation moves. You aren't going to take the briefcase and the product. Either I get the product and you get the briefcase, or I get the product and the briefcase. Which way is this going to go?"

Stepping forward to meet his countermeasure, the frontman seemed surprised.

"You think you're going to outfight our men? We've got the superiority here, you don't call the shots. Now, have your man pass the briefcase over." The man in the suit instructed.

"No, and I can fight your men without my bodyguard. He's for show." Andy stood nearly toe to toe with the man.

"I'd like to see that." The man moved back and snapped his fingers for the men to attack Andy.

Not liking the plan, Peter started compiling speeches to give his brother a piece of his mind.

Slipping off his jacket, Andy tossed it to Sara before turning to meet the onslaught in hand to hand combat.

Blocking blows and pulling acrobatic responses, Andy was quickly able to unarm any of the opponents who approached him with a weapon while holding his own to defeat the group alone, exactly as promised.

With the fight won, he landed back on his feet only to quickly disarm the man in the suit as he tried to pull a gun on him. "As I said, I'm perfectly capable of handling myself in a combat situation. Several years in the military didn't go to waste."

Smoothing his sleeves and signaling Sara to return his jacket, Andy acted like he fought off ninjas every day. "Now, are you ready to make this deal or do we have to play around some more?"

Hiding his hands behind his back, the hacker pulled two knives out and quickly threw them with one aimed at Peter and the other at Sara.

Spinning as he reached out for one and then the other, Andy easily grabbed both knives and tossed them to the ground beside him.

"Tsk tsk, I've given you so many chances, and my patience is running thin." Andy dropped his voice slightly to indicate a hint of danger.

Quivering, both men knew they were out of their element. Directing for the hacker to present the data, the man in the suit tried to remain as a side person and no longer took as much of a leadership role.

Accepting the stolen merchandise and directing Peter to pass the briefcase, Andy spoke the key phrase to indicate that the exchange had occurred.

Suddenly ducking, Andy had sensed the presence of another combatant in the rafters above so his sudden drop to stand behind him wasn't nearly so intimidating as the opponents had intended.

Moving towards Sara, Peter wasn't fast enough to protect her as the man grabbed her to use her as a shield against Andy. Noticing that the man in the suit had pulled another gun out and was pointing it at him, Peter was forced to stand down and remain in place.

Sighing, Andy didn't seem as intimidated as Peter expected. "Now you've done it. I guess it's no more Mr. Nice Guy."

Pulling a flip, Andy flicked one of the knives to hit the frontman in the shoulder forcing him to drop the gun before he pulled another swift move using the rope to get behind the man holding Sara and disengaged his grip before knocking him unconscious.

Then walking over towards the two men, Andy led the approach as backup stormed the warehouse and assisted in ensuring it was safe before he returned to Peter and Sara.

Asking if they were alright, Andy briefly glanced over Peter and nodded his acknowledgment that he was aware of the impending speeches. Then he turned his focus onto Sara as she was shaking a little after the attack. Putting an arm around her, Andy offered comfort and safety as he guided her outside and found a place for her to sit and regain her composure.

Following along enough to see that Andy's focus was on providing comfort, Peter put his focus on helping with the case. He could ream his brother out later. The man might have a background in black ops and the military, but that didn't mean he could take daring risks.

*******

The first time Peter started to wonder if something was happening between his brother and Sara was when he asked his brother if he wanted a ride and Andy excused himself saying Sara had asked for a consult.

"Does that consult include dinner?" Peter asked knowing that based on the time of night that it likely would.

"I'm not going hungry." Andy smiled at him and went his way with a pat on his shoulder.

*******

His second hint was when he called his brother and could hear Sara laughing in the background. It was a Friday night and neither had a case. He knew because he'd seen them both throughout the day. Besides, Sara's laugh wasn't a 'work' laugh. It was far too flirtatious for that.

*******

It wasn't officially known that the two were dating until Sara joined the Burke family for a night of hanging out at the loft and playing video games.

"Heh-heh," Andy had said in a high pitched voice as he beat Peter and Elizabeth before high fiving Sara as the champion team of their challenge.

Exchanging glances with his wife, Peter knew she didn't mind the loss either, especially when they saw the way Sara had looked proudly at her man.

"So, how long have you two been dating?" Elizabeth asked Andy and Sara only to cause them to glance at each other.

"Who says we're dating?" Sara turned to ask Elizabeth, but her blushing smile and twinkling eyes gave her away.

Grinning, Elizabeth wasn't backing down. "Andy invited you to what's become one of our family nights as the one he hosts, you two have been hanging out quite a bit for the last several weeks, and your expressions just now. The two of you are smiling and were just looking all goo-goo eyed at each other. That's dating."

Smiling broader, the two couldn't argue with that.

"It's only become official recently. I finally got him to take me on a real date instead of lunches, consults, and random encounters." Sara said as she took Andy's hand.

"Got him, huh," Elizabeth grinned teasingly at Andy. "Well, I'm glad someone is finally taking a shot at settling him down. Andy's a good catch, and being with his brother, I can attest that they're a good family to marry in to."

Blushing, Sara ducked her head at the reference to marriage, but she didn't argue. They weren't ready for it, but it was a possibility on the table for the future.

Peter smiled. He wanted to see his brother settled down and from what he'd gotten to know of Sara, she was normal enough to settle him down but not normal enough to potentially keep up with him.

*******

Peter knew their relationship was getting serious when Andy took Sara and him to pick the puppy. According to Andy, he wanted Peter's opinion as a dog owner but also thought it would be nice for Sara to come along too. They went to a local shelter where a litter of puppies was nearly ready for their new homes and they'd manage to get first pick.

Going through the puppies, Peter set the ones he thought would be good loose from the playpen for Andy and Sara to pick from. Then he sat down and watched how they made their choice.

Andy made the first choice further going through the puppies after watching their behavior. Then Sara judged by which ones she thought were particularly cute or sweet.

Slowly, they worked their way through the puppies until they had one left. It was a little black lab puppy but had another breed mixed in to make it less pure breed, and the mixed genetics seemed to get a smart, adorably cute, and sweet little male.

"I see you have your choice," Peter commented as he watched the way the little guy tottered between them eager for pets as he tried to lick their fingers as often as possible.

"Elizabeth is right; Midnight Renegade is a good name for him, but Ren or Renegade for short." Sara declared as she held the little puppy.

Chuckling, Andy seemed to be outvoted but he couldn't complain that the women in his life liked the longer name. "Midnight Renegade he is then."

Putting a blue collar on the puppy, they marked which one was going to be theirs, but it wasn't time to take him home yet.

Spending a little more time playing with the little guy, they eventually put him back in the pin with his mother and siblings before making the rest of the arrangements for eventual ownership.

With the initial step taken, Peter gave them a list of things to shop for and joined them on the trip to the pet store for a few starting purchases. The rest, Andy either had other ideas or Sara didn't approve.

Amused to see them practicing with what was essentially their first child, Peter stayed out of the ultimate decisions and left them at the loft after a joint lunch with Elizabeth.

Driving home, he commented to Elizabeth. "I think Sara and Andy are good together. You should have seen them picking the puppy and shopping for supplies."

Taking his hand, Elizabeth agreed. "I hope they settle down. Sara is good for Andy and she'd be a fun sister. We've got plans to meet for a shopping trip next week."

Hoping for the future, Peter couldn't make the decision for them so he chose to enjoy his own wife and wait for his brother to choose for himself.

*******

Working with Sara on a taskforce operation again, Peter was interested to learn that the plan was for Andy to propose to Sara as a distraction while the team was supposed to be accomplishing their objective as the crowd applauded the lovely couple.

They went to work making the arrangements and set up a romantic plan for Andy to surprise Sara with. She knew he was proposing for the operation, but he wouldn't allow her to know any details. It needed to be as realistic as possible.

Asking if Andy was going to pick up a ring out of the FBI's supply, Peter was surprised when he shrugged the suggestion off with, "I'll take care of that later. It doesn't need to be anything too special as this is just an operation."

Their sting got closer and still, Andy hadn't signed a ring out so Peter was beginning to get curious.

When the day arrived and they were going into action, Andy was dressed up in one of his best suits while Sara wore a simple but elegant dress. He escorted her into the facility choosing the corner table with flowers, candles, and little white lights to create a romantic atmosphere. Showing off, Andy also paid a street musician to follow them in and play international love songs softly through their meal.

After they'd eaten, Andy took her for a slow dance on the balcony in full view of the crowd but yet sheltered by a wall of flowers as the musician played from nearby adding to the atmosphere.

As the tune shifted to a slower and softer melody while the musician stopped singing, Andy started to talk to her. Peter could hear the words through their earpieces, but he was only partially listening as Andy talked about having had an interesting life full of great adventures as he shifted her away from him. Then he got down on one knee and pulled out a ring box, "Will you be my greatest adventure and marry me?"

Peter heard her sniff and say, "Yes, yes I will."

The crowd had been paying enough attention to realize that a proposal and engagement had just occurred.

Taking the chance while the audience was distracted, Peter led the team through the back to orchestrate their sting without civilian interaction.

Everything went smoothly and the operation was quickly completed so Peter was soon meeting Sara and Andy outside.

Sara slowly slipped the ring off and went to pass it to Andy, "I wish this was real. Now you're going to have a high standard to meet when you're ready."

Closing her fingers around the ring, Andy wasn't accepting it. "That isn't a Bureau issue ring; this is real, if you want it to be."

Looking at his brother, Peter hadn't expected that but it wouldn't hurt. Since they were doing a proposal it made sense to surprise her and make it real. Based on the tears shining in her eyes when he looked back at her, she hadn't seen that coming.

Since she wasn't fighting it, Andy then accepted the ring and slipped it onto her finger again before she hugged him so he lifted her up and twirled her around. Setting her back down, he kissed and hugged her.

Smiling, Peter congratulated both of them and gave each a hug as the well-wishing big brother.

Sending them off to talk as soon as possible, he was willing to take a slightly larger load to let the lovebirds begin making their plans.

*******

When the wedding day arrived, Peter looked around knowing it was exactly what Andy wanted. They'd set up a tent in June's garden and invited their closest family and friends to keep the event small and intimate. Due to Andy's past service in the CIA and military operations, they needed to avoid attracting the attention of his many enemies.

In the service of best man, Peter tried to calm his brother down by doing a check-in with all of the people. Andy was jittery and nervous, but excited, so he thought a distraction of updating him with the happenings might help.

Team Carmichael was working security as a precaution with Casey and Morgan doing the perimeter work while Chuck and Sara were also in the wedding party as friends. Although there was nothing to raise concern, there were several agents around to provide support if anyone did catch wind of the event.

Going through their coworkers, Peter chatted with Jones and Diana before working through the various members of the Burke family and Ellen. He'd been surprised to learn that Sara didn't have any family to invite to the event so she'd opted to put a greater focus on their mutual friends and her new family.

A chat with June proved that everyone was present and enjoying the mingling time instead of moving for their seats, but Jones and Chuck were on hand to usher them when they were ready.

Mozzie was regaling various guests with alleged stories to pass the time. He'd gotten a special license to be able to officiate the ceremony so he was in his element.

Meeting the matron of honor in the hallway off of the guest room Sara was using, Peter kissed his wife. "How are the bride and her lovely matron of honor?"

Standing in his arms, Elizabeth kissed him back. "She's excited but nervous. I'm looking forward to having another sister. How are the groom and his handsome best man?"

"The same. I thought it might help Andy to know everyone is here, Chuck said there is no security threat detected, and everything is running smoothly. Now we just have to finish getting them ready and then we'll be able to welcome another member into the family." Peter smiled in excitement. His brother was getting married, and to a friend as well. They had all the makings for a good life together and Peter couldn't be happier for them.

With a parting kiss, Peter went back to the loft to update Andy while Elizabeth returned to the room where Sara was preparing for her walk down the aisle.

Finding his brother puttering around the space trying to make sure everything was in its place, Peter laughed. "Calm down, buddy. This is Sara, she's aware of how the loft looks on a regular day, she's moved her things in or placed them in storage until you're ready for your own place, and you're not even staying here tonight." Catching his brother by the shoulders, Peter made him stop and look at him. "Relax. You love Sara, she loves you, and our family and friends are downstairs having a good time waiting to watch you tie the knot. I know you're excited and nervous, but this is going to be just fine."

Smiling, Andy's face softened. "I know, and you're right. It's just, after the accident I was nearly alone or alone for so long. Sometimes I still find it hard to believe that this is all real, that I have our family back, all of my friends in my life, and now I'm getting married to a woman who knows who I am and loves me despite originally meeting me as a criminal alias that drove her nuts." He chuckled at the memory of various earlier encounters.

Pulling the man into a firm but careful hug, Peter didn't want to mess up his tux or anything, but he wanted that moment with his brother. Although they'd still be able to spend time together, it wasn't like it was when they were kids. They were either married, or about to be, and maybe someday there would be kids running around. Life was going to keep changing and he wanted to enjoy the moment, if only for a moment.

Parting, Peter smiled proudly at his brother. "I'm proud of you and the man you are, even before I knew that Neal was only an alias, and I'm happy that you found Sara. She's a great woman, and Elizabeth and I are looking forward to having her for a sister."

Initiating the second hug, Andy thanked him for his support. "I'm glad you turned out to be my big brother, I couldn't ask for a better one."

Then it was time for Andy to finish getting ready before they joined Mozzie at the front. Everyone had taken their seats and soon the bridal march began.

Peter was watching Andy when he caught the first glimpse of Sara entering the garden through the gate. Andy's head straightened and his focus was zeroed in on his bride as his face softened and a smile lit up his expression.

Following his brother's adoring gaze, Peter's glance turned towards his sister-in-law's walk up the aisle on his father's arm. Luke was wearing a tux with a flower in his lapel while Sara was wearing a simple but elegant white dress with a short veil. Her smile was brilliant while Luke was trying to retain something of a serious expression but he couldn't mask how thrilled he was. There were no daughters born to him, but he still got to experience the feeling of handing one to her groom.

Standing by, everyone watched as Mozzie led the couple through their vows while Hunter, Satchmo, and Renegade formed the trio to bring the wedding rings. Then Mozzie directed them to kiss before introducing them as the new Mr. and Mrs. Andrew and Sara Burke much to the delight of all present.

After Andy and Sara led the way back into the mansion, Peter took his wife's arm and led her along behind with the rest of the party following along for the reception.

Andy and Sara had their first dance as husband and wife to open the party. Luke had the father-daughter dance with Sara while Jeanine danced with Andy for a mother and son mirror event. Then through the following dances, Peter stole Sara for one round while Elizabeth engaged Andy for a sibling dance.

"Welcome to the family, now you're my sister. I don't think any of us saw this coming all those years ago when we joined up to chase his alias." Peter smiled as he moved around the floor with the lovely bride.

Laughing, Sara concurred. "No, I don't think any of us saw this coming. Then he was James Bonds, this brilliant and frustrating criminal neither of us could catch. Although there was something different about him, I wouldn't have dreamed that this was waiting in the future." Ducking her head, she then looked up again. "Alright, I might have had a few romantic fantasies at different times over the years of ways things could work out between us, but what really happened was beyond my imagination."

Smiling, Peter understood. "I recognized his intelligence, heart, and that there was something different about him, but I didn't realize it was because he's my brother and was an undercover agent at the time. Fortunately, we aren't bound by our imaginations, because in this case, our reality is far better."

When the dance finished, Peter swapped with his brother so that each could dance with their brides.

The rest past in a blur of toasts, cake, and family enjoyment that was over all too quickly.

After a while, it was getting to be time to send the bride and groom off on their honeymoon so they retreated upstairs to change into less a conspicuous suit and white dress before returning to say goodbye.

Throwing the flower petals as enthusiastically as anyone, Peter was glad when he managed to catch a handful right on his brother's hat causing Andy to smile at him before disappearing into the limo.

Waving them off, Peter sighed and was glad to feel his wife's arms wrap around him. Returning the hold, he turned to smile at his wife and give her a kiss. "We've got another sister, she's got a family again, and he's got someone to be by his side through life. I think this has been a very good day for all of us."

Enjoying a few moments of contemplation, the couple then broke up to help with clean up and to take Satchmo and Renegade home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, following me and my stories, choosing to favorite me and my stories, leaving kudos, and reviewing :D


	16. Epilogue – Family

*******

Spending an evening together as a family, Andy sat on the couch with his arm around Sara while he watched Peter and Elizabeth. They were more excited than usual and they tried to put it off as being in good moods, but they'd been behaving oddly for several days so it wasn't just a mood. There was something up.

Going over what he'd noticed, Andy thought through his arrival with Sara, how the women had done the work in the kitchen while he and Peter fried in the heat outside with the grill and kept the dogs out of the way by occupying them in the backyard. When the meal was prepared, they had all sat down to eat and enjoyed general conversation, but Elizabeth's clear drink looked like water while the rest of them had their usual preferences. Peter was being more conscientious than usual too. Sure, he hauled the dishes when they cleared the table, but he didn't usually insist on it and haul most of them. Now that they were sitting around and talking, Elizabeth was sipping on her clear drink with her feet up. Nothing looked different, but if Andy's suspicion was right, it was too early for that.

Smiling at them, Andy was pretty sure he'd picked up on their secret, but he wasn't going to share it if they weren't ready. Let them have their personal time to enjoy their little miracle. He could wait for them to share the news, but he was going to be watching for confirmation while being conscientious of the likely probability.

Based on how Peter and Elizabeth shared a glance, he thought they might have caught on to his reaction, but they didn't say anything so the charades escalated.

*******

Andy got a worried call from Peter that his case's suspect had shown potential for going after Elizabeth. He had agents on her, but he wondered if Andy could hang out with her as much as possible or call in any favors to provide extra protection.

Agreeing easily, Andy sent Mozzie over. Although Agent Winters was no longer his handler, the man was still a good friend of the family and capable of providing additional protection when neither he nor Peter could be there.

When they were able to get together, Andy worked with Peter to install the new security system around the house with some extra focus on the property in general to be safe.

"You're family is going to be alright Peter. Mozzie, he has secrets much like my own, this is the best security you can get with modifications from or inspired by four top engineering agents, and I've got it linked into my system so I'll know if you need help. You've got a support system through me, Mozzie, your team, and our friends. Nothing is going to happen, alright?" Andy tried to encourage his brother to breathe. He was wound tighter than a spring and his nerves needed a break.

Breathing as he'd hoped, Peter put his screwdriver down. "You figured it out, didn't you?"

"Elizabeth doesn't drink water when she wants to put her feet up," Andy commented easily while turning to smile at his brother again.

Breaking into a big smile, Peter was bursting. "Elizabeth didn't want to tell anyone until after the first trimester. It's been so hard not telling you, but I'd wondered if you had figured it out."

Reaching over and shaking his brother's hand while they were lying on the ground installing some of the wires under the porch, Andy knew a hug would be in store, but there wasn't room.

"I figured you two wanted to enjoy your secret for a while. Sara and I haven't talked about it so I don't know if she's figured it out yet. Who knows, maybe they're talking about it in the house." Andy grinned at his brother.

Peter looked thrilled, "I don't know if the secret is going to last until the second trimester. You figured it out, I think Mozzie has, Sara is likely too, and who knows how many of our other close family and friends will put the pieces together." Squeezing his hand again, Peter felt liberated to talk, but he kept his voice down to be safe. "We've wanted a kid for so long, but it just didn't seem to happen."

"Speaking as the little brother you've both practiced parenting on, you're going to be great at it," Andy reassured. Peter had worked to reform, protect, and build him up for years while Elizabeth was supportive and caring in her own loving way.

"Thanks," Peter's expression softened into loving pride.

Andy couldn't imagine that feeling, knowing he was going to be a father. "How does it feel?"

"What?" Peter turned to look at him.

"Knowing you're a father?" Andy started working on the task above him again, but he hoped the conversation would be both insightful and distracting.

Thinking about it, Peter resumed working on his own task while analyzing the information out loud.

It wasn't until later that evening that Peter snuck celebratory cigars out and indulged in a good brotherly hug on the patio. The wives were enjoying their own conversation inside so on the pretext of admiring their handy work, the husbands continued their conversation outside.

*******

"Stop pretending that you don't know. Sara knows and we both know you know." Elizabeth admonished Andy for his efforts at keeping up the charade while they were setting the table.

Dropping the mask for a big smile, Andy admitted to having figured it out on his own. "I didn't even tell Peter that I knew until we were putting the security up when he was so worried about your safety. It helped to calm him down, by reassuring him that I knew why he was nervous and that there was more in play to protect you and the baby than he'd originated."

Looking up out of the corner of her eyes, Elizabeth raised a brow in question. "Peter didn't tell you?"

Laughing, Andy knew Peter had struggled but apparently he was so close to spilling that Elizabeth didn't believe him. "Like I told Peter, you don't drink water when you want to put your feet up. If anyone told me, it was you with your change in behavior."

Softening her expression, Elizabeth could follow his logic. "You aren't easy to slip things past you know, and the restrictions that come with being pregnant makes it even harder to keep the secret."

"It makes sense that you wanted some time to enjoy the secret, but making it through the first trimester without anyone figuring it out was a stretch. You're both going to be great parents and your excitement is so tangible, I'm surprised the rest haven't put the pieces together off of that alone." Andy stopped putting the plates and silverware out.

Stopping her efforts with the glasses, Elizabeth straightened up to look at him. "Peter said we'd practiced parenting on you according to your comment?"

"What good dad doesn't try to help his son choose the right path and isn't willing to protect his kid when they get into trouble? A father picks his hurting child up and tries to comfort them by reminding them that they're loved. Peter did all of that for me before we learned that we're brothers, and although he's relaxed his efforts to reform, he's even more protective of me in general. Then for you, when Peter was annoyed that I did something he didn't see as right, you tried to see my perspective and helped to balance him out. Had I really been Neal, you tried to help me find my place in the world, and you've been a supportive figure as I worked to discover and become Andy for who I was as a child to who I've become as an adult. Even when Peter wouldn't admit to caring about a criminal and showed it with comments like not wanting the paperwork if I got hurt, you weren't afraid to be a caring maternal figure in my life. From when you opened the door to meet me for the first time, you've been willing to welcome me into your life. Sure, curiosity might have been your initial motivator, but caring has lasted to build our bond. Going off of that, you are a very loving person. You love Peter with such intensity that we can understand why you married him despite his inability to flirt, and any child the two of you share will be showered in that affection. Trust me; that little one is going to be lucky to have you both for parents." Andy pulled his teary-eyed sister into a hug and let her work it through against his shoulder.

When she was ready, he let her step back and she kissed his cheek in gratitude before further moving away to wipe her eyes. "Thank you, I think I needed to hear that. I'm not afraid of being a mother, we've wanted a child since early on in our marriage, but it hadn't happened before this little one. It's more like this is a life changing event and it's easy to feel daunted by the ramification of that."

Stepping forward to kiss her forehead, Andy reassured her again. "I can't say congratulations enough, I've seen the difference and how excited you both are over this little one. Having a child is taking the responsibility of having and raising a life. Their future is going to launch from the support you give them. That is a huge responsibility, so it makes sense to feel daunted by that, but the fact you feel daunted also means you are taking the responsibility seriously and intending to do your best for them."

"Stop, you're going to make me cry," Elizabeth was fighting to handle the tears and sat the last glass down not even trying to put it into its place.

"Just blame it on the pregnancy hormones," Andy gave her a sideways hug and then left her to handle the tears while he put the glass in its place and picked his load up to finish setting the table.

Peter walked into the room with Sara as they were each carrying some of the food. He frowned seeing his wife looking upset and glanced at Andy in question.

"It is his fault, but not for a bad reason. Andy just gave me my own version of his talk with you but in more detail." Elizabeth sniffed and moved to kiss her husband's cheek while being careful not to upset the bowl he was carrying.

Sitting the bowl down, Peter glanced curiously at Andy while Elizabeth went into the kitchen to grab something.

Sara was also looking at him.

Shrugging, Andy just smiled at them. "Who wouldn't be happy to have Peter and El for parents? They both watched out for me when I was still nothing but a con."

Frowning, Peter didn't like the degrading connotation of his words while Sara had a similar look of displeasure.

"I'm not saying that I was ever really nothing more than a con, I was an agent working with a purpose, but I wasn't that agent or family to you, not back in the early days." Andy didn't miss those days at all, and based on their expressions, neither did they.

Patting him on the shoulder before going to grab another dish, Peter knew he'd expressed his relief in having learned Andy's real identity, but he also knew that their history didn't change with the truth, their future did.

Moving to kiss him and wrap her arms around him, Sara smiled up at him. "I knew you were a handsome charmer, but fortunately, I learned the truth of the man behind that pretty face."

Chuckling, Andy kissed her. "This pretty face wasn't enough to turn your head, but I'm glad you looked deeper and sought the real me."

"We're all glad to see the real you. Neal was interesting and attractive in his own way, but Andy is so much better." Elizabeth commented as she passed with the last little details while Peter carried the main dish behind her.

"You made comments like that back when he was Neal too," Peter teased while he set the food down and glanced up at the other three.

Smirking at Peter while glancing at Andy and Sara, Elizabeth teased back, "He may be a pretty face, but I'm a sucker for big brown eyes."

"Do you hear that Satchmo, she's a sucker for big brown eyes. So, that's probably why she picked both of us?" Peter glanced down at their dog.

Moving to kiss her husband, Elizabeth loved the light banter and the family atmosphere.

Kissing her back, Peter then commented, "Sucker."

"Yep, I'm such a sucker," she kissed him again before sitting down to eat.

Enjoying their discussion, the group chatted through the meal about what they found attractive which then segued to what they saw in names and ultimately landed on what names Peter and Elizabeth were thinking about for the baby.

Having discussed their favorite girl names, Sara and Elizabeth were racing along at their assessments of people they'd known by various names and which ones were interesting or too overly used.

"What do you think about for a boy?" Sara then transitioned the subject as they were slowing down on girl names.

Sharing a glance with Peter as they both looked at Andy, Peter took the lead. "We've got two first names in mind. Either Neal or Bryce, after our brother and best friend."

Blinking, Andy hadn't expected that, "After me?"

"Neal for the man you met and Bryce for the man he was secretly. I like the idea of using his aliases in his honor." Sara leaned over and wrapped her arm around his.

Focusing on Peter, Andy was still trying to adjust. "You'd name your son after me?"

Looking him in the eyes, Peter nodded slowly. "Yeah, buddy. You're one of the most important people in our lives and you will be in our child's life. We're proud of you and excited about them, and that's the best way we can think of to show the extent of those feelings to both of you."

Floundering, Andy was awed by the depth of the feelings he felt. He loved his siblings so much, and he knew they returned those feelings, but to name their long-awaited child after him was indeed a huge show of the depth of their love and respect for him. "Wow."

Having finished eating, Peter and Elizabeth got up to clear the dishes while Andy seemed to be coming to terms with their plans.

Once they'd finished, they moved the conversation to the living room.

"You are okay with it, aren't you?" Peter questioned Andy's lack of reaction while standing with his arm across his shoulders.

"Yeah, yeah, I'd love it if you guys named a boy after me. It's just, well, it's just a huge honor that you would." Andy knew they'd understand, they'd each talked about how big of a decision a child was.

Hugging him, Peter held him close for a few moments before releasing him to join their wives.

"Which do you think we should go with?" Elizabeth asked Andy on his opinion.

Giving it some thought, Andy leaned back into the couch while Sara cuddled into his side. "I don't know. Neal, it has some great memories of the early days. Being chased by this attractive insurance agent, only to be called a sociopath turned out alright. That agent who chased me around the world and threw me in prison more than once turned out to be my best friend. Then his wife became a friend and eventually my sister. Sure, there were some rough times, but I wouldn't undo being Neal for anything. As for Bryce, Bryce is the name I chose for myself as a kid to model the hero I admired. When I had amnesia that stuck with me as the man I wanted to be. Oh, it's also alliterated like so many comic characters. Bryce Burke sounds like the name some hero has when he isn't wearing a mask and cape." Andy threw out what the names meant to him, but he couldn't decide which one would be better for his nephew.

"Neal it is, in honor of the man we met and the cover that brought us together," Elizabeth said confidently.

"I like it. I'm practiced at Neal speeches and chasing an elusive Neal who likes to get into trouble." Peter grinned in amusement. "Besides, we'll leave Bryce Burke for them."

"What?" Andy didn't understand why they went from Neal or Bryce to the sudden statement of choosing Neal and leaving him Bryce.

Kissing his cheek and looking up at him, Sara distracted him from looking at his siblings. "I like it. Bryce Burke, the name you chose for the man you wanted to be and became. Our son would be named after his favorite hero and alliterated too."

Caught off guard for the second time, Andy had thought about what it might be like to be a father, but it hadn't come up as something they were ready for, let alone names.

"You still don't seem to get it, do you? The fact that any of us would want to name a kid after you floors you, even if it would be your own kid." Peter questioned as he watched his reaction.

"Who expects the most important people in their life to want to name their kids after them? Most people either name their kid after themselves, their father or grandfather, or some random name that appeals to them. I don't know of anyone who names their kids after their brother or their husband's alias." Andy didn't say that he didn't feel worthy of the honor. He knew they'd not understand or appreciate it, but he'd never done the work for honor. It was always about doing the right thing.

"That's what makes it even more special." Sara took the conversation. "You did your work as a secret agent; your acts of heroism weren't published in the papers or given great commendations of honor. And you wouldn't want it that way as the reward was never your motivator; Andy is driven by doing the right thing. We love that about you, and it only makes us want to honor you in our lives more."

His wife had learned to read him well. Andy turned to look at her in surprise. "When did you become a mind reader?"

Chuckling, she leaned into him. "I can't read minds, but I can read you."

"So, that's what's throwing you for such a loop. I remember when we were in that diner in Connecticut, and you got called out for what you'd done and in public gratitude and thanks. You practically didn't know what to do with yourself. Andy, it won't be public knowledge, people won't be looking at you funny that your nephew and son are named after your aliases because most people will never know. Those at work know you're my brother who played Neal, but not that you're agent Bryce Larkin. To the world, they'll be names we liked, but to us, to the people that matter in our lives, we'll know who you are and that the boys are named for you." Peter put a new perspective on it.

Growing more comfortable with it, Andy realized that Peter was right. It didn't diminish the honor, because his family and close friends knew the reasoning behind the names, but it put it into a better perspective.

"Is that better?" Elizabeth asked while slipping something under a magazine.

Frowning, Andy was distracted as he looked at the coffee table in between them.

"He doesn't know," Sara confirmed which piqued his interest.

"I don't know what?" Andy wanted to know what was being hidden from him.

"Ellen sent a copy of the paper from Connecticut. Your school got a new football field and track so she sent everyone copies of the article. The field was named after Josh, the hometown hero that they'd always admired, but he insisted on the track being named after you, for the secret hero he admired. I believe it's locally referenced as Larkin's Loop?" Peter generalized the details while pulling the magazine back and passing him the article.

Skimming through it, Andy read the details as they talked about various games and remembered the big play Josh had done their senior year. Then it had a brief mention of the reason he'd insisted on the track being named Bryce Larkin's Loop, or Larkin's Loop, after a local track star. "He was a foster kid that passed through here for a few years, but we missed who he was. It wasn't until we were adults and our paths crossed in the military that I learned about the secret hero he really was." Josh was careful not to mention his continued existence or anything that would attract too much attention, just a passing reference to some foster kid who became his hero in the military by being one of those unsung heroes people love but don't remember on a grand scale.

Putting the article back on the table, Andy was quiet as he commented, "Josh was present for a lot of things when we were kids, but he didn't participate so much as observe quietly and apparently compile enough information to ultimately figure me out. Now, he seems to have made it his life goal to ensure things like that don't happen again."

"You've inspired more than you imagined," Peter commented while watching him closely.

"I hear he has plans to start a foundation for awareness to arouse community support for kids in need. After the local cops got away with sabotage, he doesn't want anyone else hurt if he can help it." He was lucky to have a good foster parent who got involved early and kept an eye on his situation, but those without champions weren't always so fortunate.

Discussing what Ellen had shared and ways they could contribute, the group made the time pass until it was time for Andy and Sara to head home.

Going to retrieve Renegade with Peter, Andy noticed that his brother had something he wanted to say.

"You can distract us, but I noticed your nerves. It's going to be a big responsibility for us to parent this kid, but you seem intimidated by having a baby look up to you as this heroic uncle they adore." Catching his arm, Peter turned him to face him. "This may have gotten past you, but we've noticed how you work to protect those who don't even know they're in danger, how you inspire others to be greater than themselves, and how much you love and care for those around you. Whether they're a girl or a boy, named after you or not, you're going to be a great uncle to this kid. And someday, should you and Sara have kids of your own, you'll be a great father too. Trust me, as the friend and big brother you've worked to protect and based on what others have said about you, you'll be great at this." Then Peter pulled him into a hug.

"Thanks," Andy hadn't even realized how nervous he was about having such a small person in his own life. He was entirely confident in his siblings, but he was more accustomed to rougher situations and this was going to take a gentler side he didn't often show.

"You're welcome," Peter gave his shoulders another squeeze before releasing him and helping him collect his dog's things.

Then walking back to the door, they met the wives, exchanged good nights, and separated for the night as Andy walked to the car with his own wife.

*******

Andy assisted Peter with accomplishing his self-inflicted to do list in baby proofing the house while Sara cooed over adorable baby things with Elizabeth. Although Peter and Elizabeth were nesting for their first little one, Andy and Sara enjoyed the family bonding as they helped with the process, even though it brought on conversations about their future prospects for children.

"Have you to considered having children?" Elizabeth asked one evening after they'd spent the day painting the nursery with Andy doing some paintings for the kid's walls. Since Elizabeth liked his versions of New York, she had asked him to make some additional paintings for the nursery.

Holding hands, Andy let Sara answer that one.

"Yes, we want a couple of kids, one of each particularly, but I don't think we're quite ready for that. We've started looking for our own place and Mozzie's volunteered to move into the loft to keep June company. He isn't doing as much work for the agency lately so he is thinking about making it his primary residence." Sara knew a little about his work as Mozzie often visited Andy for their regular games of chess and hypothetical conversations.

Grinning, Peter and Elizabeth had a feeling the new place was with the intent of having children with more space to play and fewer flights of stairs to climb.

"How many bedrooms are you thinking, three?" Elizabeth had a gleam in her eyes that indicated an idea.

Biting the bait, Andy answered the affirmative. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well, there is a house for sale in the neighborhood. Its close enough the kids could play together, you and Peter could practically commute together, Sara and I could easily have girl time, and even the dogs could keep each other company." She was selling them the benefits.

"You mean the house directly next door? We already put in for an appointment to see it." Sara smiled.

"We'd thought of the same things you just mentioned, but we weren't going to say anything yet." Andy grinned.

Ecstatic, Peter and Elizabeth started talking about what they knew of the place and the conversation turned to possible plans.

When it came time to announce the baby's gender, Peter and Elizabeth had Andy and Sara over for dinner one evening. There was a cake gracing the kitchen counter but the internal color wasn't known to any of them.

Enjoying their meal, they talked about the final sale of the house next door and how Andy and Sara would be moving in soon.

"We're going to pull Sara's things out of storage and then add as we need to until we've got the place set up. I'll probably build some things like I did our room at mom's and dad's, but this is a whole house so it's not as easy to put as much detail into everything. She also has some painting's she wants me to do so my 'honey-do list' keeps growing." Andy was relaxed and happy as he talked about their plans.

"Let me know if you need any help. You've about helped me take my list out so it's only fair I help with yours some. Just don't hand me a brush, that's your problem." Peter smirked as he relished the reality of his brother moving in next door.

"I get the feeling your wife might be stolen for selecting colors and other consultations but the brush is probably mostly my job. Especially for the paintings, we don't want stick figures roaming our walls. Don't forget, I watched you paint them all through the nursery before painting them over." Andy laughed at the memory. Peter had joked that he could paint too, and then he'd proceeded to do boxes and stick figures around the room before painting them over much to his amusement. "That picture joined my family photo collection, the other artist in the family."

Elizabeth looked to her husband before asking for a copy. "I didn't know about this."

"You and Sara were talking about colors for the other rooms and Andy was helping me with some painting for a break from the more detailed work he'd been doing. So, I decided to be the entertainment." Peter laughed at the memory as well.

"Maybe we should assign Peter a brush. Not the detailed edging perhaps, but clearly he can fill the space with random shapes." Sara smiled and started discussing plans with Andy while glancing sideways at Peter for his reaction to the teasing.

"Alright you two, laugh it up, but you can't deny my skill for filling space with random shapes," Peter commented as he got up to clear the table.

Realizing that it was nearly time to learn the gender of the baby, they got excited and turned their focus on cleaning up dinner before they were ready to sit down and watch as Peter and Elizabeth sliced into the cake. When the server came up blue, they all knew before Peter could slide out the first piece for the mother.

Passing the pieces around, Peter made sure everyone had their share before taking his own seat.

Turning to take a bib out of his jacket, Andy passed the blue item to his sister before spinning a tale about knowing the baby was a boy based on how she and Peter were acting.

Getting up and reaching into his jacket, Peter pulled a pink out as well. "What's this?"

Pretending to be mystified, Andy knew he'd been caught. "How did that get there, Sara?" He asked his wife while trying to play oblivious.

"Don't look at me, he's your brother." Sara wasn't going to get involved so she turned to talk to Elizabeth about planning a baby shower.

"I've taught you too many of my tricks." Then Andy put his hand out for Peter to keep the pink one, "Just in case the next one is a girl."

"Thank you," Peter smiled as he held the tiny bib. It looked small in his hand.

Dissolving into a conversation about plans for the baby shower, Peter and Elizabeth were getting ready to officially announce their pending arrival.

*******

Elizabeth had her baby shower with the ladies of her life while Peter retreated next door with Andy and some of the other guys to work on the house.

Lending their muscles, the men helped Andy haul the larger furniture from the storage unit to the respective rooms where it would go while many of the moving boxes were stacked downstairs.

Then, they had a barbeque with everyone joining together for some games and conversation.

*******

The months passed quickly and soon it was time for baby Neal to be born.

Andy got the call from Peter in the middle of the night that it was time so he and Elizabeth were heading to the hospital. Waking up at the news, Andy promised to be along shortly.

Sara had woken up to his phone vibrating and was already moving to get dressed as she could guess the meaning of the call.

Joining her in the process of getting ready, Andy was soon walking downstairs and grabbing his keys before walking to the car with his wife.

They made the drive fairly quietly as they woke up and were soon sitting in the waiting room waiting for an update.

Slowly, their friends and family arrived to join them in the wait. The hours past slowly and they ran through coffee and cafeteria food while engaging in conversation.

Eventually, Peter walked out holding a baby boy wrapped in a blue blanket. Introducing him to the family, he showed them the newborn. "Meet Neal Anthony Burke." Then he shared the measurements and other details common to a new baby.

The group got really excited while a few moved to hug Peter and coo over the baby.

Coming behind his parents, Andy accepted his nephew when he was passed to him. Sara leaned into his side to see the little boy from one side and Peter clapped his shoulder from the other side as a proud father showing his son off.

Although Neal cried a little, he seemed to feel safe ensconced with his family and surrounded by familiar voices.

Feeling the baby wrap his little hand around his finger, Andy felt the tears shine his eyes up as his emotions got the better of him. "Congratulations, big brother."

Peter hugged him happily while Sara cuddled into his side gladly waiting her turn to hold the baby.

After everyone had been generally introduced, Peter passed Neal to a nurse and checked on his wife.

Making sure Peter got home safely, Andy then took Satchmo to their yard so that Peter wouldn't need to worry about him while he slept.

*******

When Elizabeth brought baby Neal home, everything was ready and Andy had worked with Sara to make sure lunch was laid out on the counter so that there was nothing for their siblings to worry about but taking care of the baby.

*******

Once baby Neal's first birthday was coming around, the family decided to host a reunion to get everyone together. Neal wouldn't remember it, but the adults would enjoy the family gathering to reconnect with their ever-expanding family.

Making the plans, Elizabeth chose the caterer and decorated with Sara while Peter and Andy made sure there was plenty of seating and tables around for the food. They set up in both houses leaving the gate they'd built in between their yards open for easy flow of guests.

*******

On the day of the party, they had their friends and family all milling about.

Diana had brought her son Theo, Jones had a date, and Hughes and his wife enjoyed chatting. Mozzie made an appearance while Chuck and Sarah mingled with the family. Ellen continued in her aunt role and happily cooed over Neal with Jeanine while discussing hopes for Andy and Sara someday having a little one. Luke wondered through his Burke relations while Andy showed his wife off to cousins he hadn't seen in decades.

Watching it all, Peter and Elizabeth were thrilled to see their son's first birthday so well spent.

After a while, Hughes decided to make a toast. He started by congratulating the parents on their son's first, but then announced that he would be retiring. As the audience lamented his departure, he cheered them up with the announcement that he was suggesting Peter as his replacement. "It isn't official, but you deserve it. I couldn't ask for a better second in command."

As the crowd cheered, Peter noticed that Sara was lifting a bottle of water instead of her more typical choice. Catching his brother's eyes, he noticed the way Andy lit up proudly.

Hugging his wife, Peter knew that little Neal would likely have his cousin Bryce along to play with within the year.

Unable to help it, he moved through the crowd to hug the happy couple. "Turnabout is fair play; I can guess your secret the same way you could ours."

"This is Neal's day, we'll announce soon enough," Sara spoke softly while Andy stood proudly by her side.

"We're thinking Bryce Peter if it's a boy," Andy spoke softly when it was his turn to receive a hug.

Stepping back, Peter's eyes were big. He knew he'd named his son after Andy, but Andy was returning the favor?

"We'll talk about it later, but I could pretty well turn your speech back at you. Congratulations on the promotion!" Andy raised his voice to avoid the crowd wondering what they were discussing in their side conversation.

Being pulled away, Peter was swept through the crowd by well-wishers before he was finally able to return to his wife.

Hugging her as the party wound down, Peter managed to catch a side conversation with Elizabeth.

"Andy and Sara are expecting, aren't they?" Elizabeth asked as she hugged him and watched her sister move through the crowd entertaining various guests.

"Uh-huh, they said they're thinking Bryce Peter if it's a boy, but they aren't going to go public yet. Sara said this is Neal's day." Peter murmured to his wife happily as he kissed her head. "He's going to name his son after me if it's a boy."

"I can't blame him; you're quite a man Peter Burke." Elizabeth sighed contentedly into her husband's chest.

"Thank you, Elizabeth Burke; you're an amazing woman yourself." Peter squeezed her closer enjoying her company.

As the party wound down, Peter was struck again at how well life had turned out.

When he was a kid, he had a happy childhood until an accident had lost his brother and torn his personal life apart. Slowly, he'd pulled himself together to a point and life had gone on. He went to college and then his dream of playing baseball fell through sending him on to a new goal. In joining the FBI he found a new love in catching the bad guy and righting wrongs. Then he found the love of his life at the gallery. A pile of cases landed on his desk, and one turned out to be his best friend while he befriended the agents who helped him pursue the rascal. One day his best friend started talking about his past and some investigation found him to be his long lost brother. Working to regain their relationship, they grew close and enjoyed their bond as a family. Another case and Peter had pushed slightly to put his brother with their friend and they had gone on to get married. Now, with his young son being passed around through the family for attention, his brother living next door with his wife and expecting, and an environment of loving friends and family to raise their young with, life certainly didn't get any better than this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, choosing to favorite, following, leaving kudos, and reviewing/commenting :D
> 
> Alright, this story ends next week so it's officially time to take votes on what you all would like to read next. If you wish to vote, please check out my completed list on my fanfiction.net profile page (link in profile page here) and let me know in review on either site or PM there what story you would like to see next. Next week, I'll announce the winner to be posted beginning the following week :D
> 
> The votes have started as below:
> 
> Miniature: 1


	17. Epilogue – Heroes

*******

Fast-forwarding some years, the Burke families' backyards had been transformed.

Now their edges had a few terraces of flowers and gardens, but the dominant expanse had opened up to allow room for play. Swings, slides, and other entertainment varied between the yards to encourage their occupants to share and enjoy multiple means of play.

The expanses of lawn once roamed by dogs alone were now the foundations for raging seas or expansive concrete jungles while the playsets varied from Viking ships to enemy safe houses as the imagination allowed.

However, none of this was the direct focus of the two little boys as they stood facing each other. They were having a standoff in deciding what game to play next.

"Aw, come on," a little boy with brown hair and blue eyes put his hands on his hips while looking down at his younger cousin. He was wearing jeans but had pinned his uncle's cereal box sheriff badge to his red t-shirt.

"I'm serious, we should play it like we always do." The younger boy looked up. He had brown hair and blue eyes as well, but there was a hint of red to his hair when he was in the sunlight. His Nightwing t-shirt had been his father's before him so he wore it with pride along with his jeans.

"Do we have to play vigilante and criminal again? I'm always Neal the criminal while you're always the vigilante. Just because your name is like the heroes as Uncle Andy says, doesn't mean you always have to be the good guy, Bryce." The older boy sighed.

Frowning, the younger boy squinted showing his dusting of light freckles as he thought. "Fine, Neal. What if you play the criminal who is actually the secret agent who chases me because I'm a vigilante and don't always remain within the law? Is that better?" Bryce tried to find a suitable compromise.

Grinning, Neal was appeased. "I'm Agent Neal Burke, but I'm FBI like my dad." He stood in his tough agent pose with his hands on his hips and looked proudly across the yard.

Admiring him, Bryce moved to stand beside him and tried to mimic his pose, but with less agent and more heroic vigilante. Deciding on an expression he went more for a charming smile such as he'd seen his father sport.

Moving on to playing, they decided to make it a version of hide and seek but their weapons would be water pistols in mimicry of Uncle Chuck's tranquilizing pistols.

Sitting down on the porch steps, Neal covered his eyes and counted while Bryce hid. When it was time to begin the game, he made sure his water pistol was in its holster while his backup weapon was down on his leg. He had the cereal box sheriff star his uncle had given to him pinned on his shirt and he was ready to catch a criminal.

Starting off at a walk, he began by slowly surveying his yard to see if he could catch a glimpse of his elusive cousin. Not seeing him, he began methodically checking the best hiding places before moving towards the connecting gate between their yards.

Pulling his water pistol, he had it raised as his dad had taught him before he checked around the corner as he came through the gate.

A wet spot soaked into his back as Bryce popped out from behind the gate and surprised him.

Falling down and pretending to sleep, he counted to ten while Bryce ran off. Then getting up, he went to Bryce's porch for another count of ten.

Not seeing the kid, he knew Bryce was probably watching him so he had to be cautious of how he approached leaving his prison. Walking by the stairs, he didn't see Bryce, but he could be under the porch waiting to snipe him. Checking his perimeter, he also knew that there were several shrubs along the edges that were big enough to hide a small kid. Balancing his odds, he thought he'd have better luck with the less obvious means than the stairs.

Choosing to carefully climb over the railing, he quietly lowered himself down into the flower bed between the plants. Fending the dogs off, he tried to keep Renegade and Satchmo from alerting Bryce of where he was escaping from.

Hearing the sound of Bryce trying to crawl out from under the porch quickly, Neal had enough forewarning to take off running and reach his yard before Bryce was out and coming after him.

Turning around the corner, he pulled out a rope toy and threw it for the dogs to chase. Since they each got an end, it encouraged Ren and Satch to play together giving him a chance to get the drop on Bryce before they returned to give his position away.

Hunkering down in the shrubbery, he used the gate and the plants much as his cousin had in an effort to prevent the kid from seeing him before he was in shooting range.

After a few minutes, Bryce made his way through the gate aware that the strategy was likely to be used against him. He put as much distance between himself and the gate as possible in the restricted opening before sprinting for cover behind a tree.

Taking off in pursuit, Neal wasn't far behind and reached the tree just after Bryce did. Chasing his cousin around he fired a few shots that were close enough to cross Bryce's shirt, but there wasn't a direct enough hit for it to be felt and count.

Dodging out across the yard, Bryce wasn't fast enough to evade Neal and he caught him in the open sprint for his longer legs. Getting a direct hit, Neal was able to put Bryce to sleep.

Complying with the rules, Bryce collapsed to the ground and did his count while he tried to catch his breath. Then he got up and went to Neal's porch as his prison to do his time.

*******

Bryce watched as Neal opted to pace around the porch trying to utilize a more physical presence to guard Bryce and keep him in the space.

Amused, Bryce moved around so that Neal wouldn't pay as much mind to his movements. Then, when Neal was starting to march and was doing something of a military turn, Bryce dropped behind a large planter and covered his mouth to avoid laughing. Listening, he heard Neal's march slowdown as he tried to figure out where he'd gone.

Peeking over the planter, Bryce ducked back down as Neal was still looking around trying to see him.

They were in a waiting game. Neal was smart and patient so his strength was to wait Bryce out, but Bryce was fast and devious like his father with his own patience to endure. Much as their fathers had tried to outwit each other, the cousins each tried to use their strengths to compete with the other in their games.

Taking another peek, Bryce wasn't sure if Neal was giving up and moving to look for him elsewhere or if he was trying to get him to put his guard down, but his cousin was starting to walk away.

Shifting to another hiding spot, he got closer to the edge of the porch before hunkering down again.

After a few moments, he peeked over the top and noticed that Neal had moved further out and was still facing away from him.

Slipping under the railing and down into the shrubbery, Bryce used the cover of them to sneak from one plant to the next every few moments whenever Neal had his back to him.

Reaching the gate, he thought he was in the clear but Neal popped up from behind a shrub and pursued him into the other yard.

Climbing his playset, Bryce then moved to the sheltered top by the slide and took a breather while he watched his cousin's reaction below. Waiting for him, Neal had the advantage as he was waiting by the slide bottom but could easily run around to the ladder and be waiting before he got down. However, Bryce was protected as long as he remained secluded in his safe house.

When he was ready, Bryce went down the slide and jumped off halfway down before he landed in a roll and was up and running again as fast as he could to evade Neal.

*******

Having lost a step, Neal was hard-pressed to catch up so he kept trying to fire at his cousin while evading the random shots Bryce tossed over his shoulder.

Squeezing his trigger and coming up dry, Neal had to switch weapons and trade out for his backup. Pausing to make the switch, he lost more ground against his cousin but he kept his head up so that he could see where Bryce went.

When the water pistols had been switched, he started a light run in the general direction of Bryce while changing direction for the shortest path to the kid as he tried to find an avenue past him. Coming to another standstill, they were at odds as Bryce wanted past him into the open lawn, but Neal shifted back and forth with him remaining between him and his escape while working his way closer.

Pulling a turn and then sprinting off in the other direction, Bryce managed to squeeze past and dash off across the lawn.

Taking a deeper breath, Neal put on a burst of speed and closed the gap with his longer legs before they started the pursuit across the lawn again.

Gaining ground, Neal managed to get another shot in and hit Bryce solidly in the side taking him down again.

*******

Going through the process, Bryce dropped to feign sleep and then got up and walked to Neal's porch before settling in. What surprised him was when Neal followed and took a central position where he could shoot him in nearly any direction. Frowning at his cousin, Bryce did his own hands on the hips pose. "Why are you in prison with me?"

"I'm a criminal and undercover agent. I'm investigating how you escaped last time by having my alias arrested and thrown into prison with you. There is nothing in our rules against that." Neal defended his actions while observing his cousin's frustration.

Giving up and pacing, Bryce was trying to figure out how to evade his cousin while he remained in such close quarters. It would be best to make a move while he was still trying to get his breath back, but as he could also use a rest, he opted to find a space far enough away to give him a little leeway while also sitting accessibly close to the railing for when he was ready to go again.

As they sat, the dogs came trotting up and joined their humans to sit panting by their feet.

After a while, Bryce started to shoot Ren so that the dog would try and catch the water in his mouth.

Transitioning to a new game, they shot their water pistols at the dogs giving them drinks while entertaining themselves until their guns ran out of water.

Moving inside to refill their guns, the boys found their mothers inside with the younger children collected around a blanket on the living room floor.

On one side, Bryce could see his mother, Sara, sitting with his baby sister in front of her. Emma Jean Ellen was everyone's pride as the only girl. Being an infant, her eyes were still blue but her hair was definitively red. She was too little to play outside with them yet, but someday, Bryce looked forward to having the younger kids help vary up their games.

To the other side of the blanket, Aunt El was sitting on a cushion to rest while playing with Luke Robert. He looked like a miniature version of Uncle Peter but as a two-year-old toddler. Luke was still in the phase where he needed adult supervision so he was entertaining himself with the toys. It would only be a few more years and they'd have him for an addition to their games outside.

*******

Changing direction, Neal walked up to sit next to his mother and watch his baby brother. With more attention, Luke decided to walk around handing toys to whoever was willing to receive them while talking to them between basic words and excited gibberish.

Across the blanket, Bryce passed his baby sister's pacifier back to her and sat down next to his mother.

Feeling his mother's fingers through his hair, Neal enjoyed the attention. With little Luke taking so much time and another baby on the way, her attention was often more focused on the younger children in care or preparation.

"Are you boys tired or do you still want to play? Your fathers won't be home for a while and we're all having dinner here tonight." Elizabeth rested her hand on Neal's shoulder comfortingly.

"We're taking a break." Neal accepted a toy from his brother before watching as little Luke went to retrieve another toy with a spiel of gibberish joy. This time he chose to drive the car up their mother's leg and across the small baby bump she was beginning to show.

"Did you play cops and robbers?" Sara asked as she picked up baby Emma Jean. The little girl was starting to get fussy and was probably ready for a bottle.

Bryce answered while retrieving the bottle for his sister. "We played it differently this time." Then he sat down and set his arms to receive his sister before he fed her the bottle while discussing the game with the help of his cousin.

Sharing the story while continuing to accept toys from his brother, Neal started a pile where he'd stack the toys as Luke enjoyed showing him various items. Then his brother found the pile and got upset so the toddler started to retrieve the toys and was taking them to their mother thinking she'd appreciate them more.

Using the same ploy, Elizabeth also stacked the toys but she occasionally played with them for a few moments which appeased Luke. Encouraging Neal to do the same thing, she showed him how to handle his brother's present game.

*******

Observing them between feeding his sister, Bryce watched as Luke also brought toys to his mother before starting a pile next to him as well since he was unable to directly accept them.

Passing some time conversing with their mothers while they played with their siblings, the boys enjoyed themselves until Sara picked Emma Jean up and took her for a diaper change while Elizabeth checked on Luke. No longer interested, the boys went to refill their guns before heading back outside.

Starting a new game, they opted to be Vikings fending the refreshed dogs away from their ship on the high seas. Climbing around a playset, they squirted water at the dogs or threw toys for them to chase while Satch and Ren provided rival buccaneers or attacking sea monsters to keep them occupied until their father's got home.

*******

Hearing the dogs bark and turn to run for the porch, the boys looked up to find their fathers standing in casual clothes. Since they wore suits to work, they'd already greeted their mothers and siblings before changing so it was their time for a bit of additional pay before they'd have to go in for dinner.

Taking the slide as the fastest means of getting down, they then ran across the lawn to start shooting their fathers with their water pistols.

At first, Peter and Andy gave the dogs a good scratch and series of pets, but when the boys attacked them, they put their hands up in a defensive mode. Then pulling mirrored quick draws, they each pulled a water pistol from the back of their jeans to return fire.

Fleeing from their fathers, the boys ran back out across the lawn only to find themselves engulfed by their fathers' arms. Laughing and giggling, both Neal and Bryce loved it as their father's picked them up and spun them around.

Coming to a stop, each father hugged their boy as they were updated on the new version of the game. Then, when they lowered them to the ground again, they ruffled their hair fondly.

*******

Crouching down to be on their level, Andy turned serious. "If we're going to play too, we need to have our game plan. Who are you boys going to be?"

As expected, Neal opted to be an undercover agent while Bryce wanted to be a vigilante.

"Well, I'm slick Nick, a criminal, so I think Agent Burke is going to need his illegal counterpart to infiltrate the criminal world and catch me." Turning to Peter, he asked what his alias was going to be.

Giving it thought, Peter looked up at the sky. "Hmm, I guess I'll be Simon the Shadow. I'm pretty tough to get too so it's going to take a really good lawman to catch me."

"We'll catch you!" Neal declared while high-fiving Bryce.

"You bet, we're the best lawmen!" Bryce then nodded at their fathers in determination.

Throwing their arms across each other's shoulders, the boys faced their fathers as a team and were rewarded by the amused but proud and happy expressions on their fathers' faces.

While their fathers went to count on the steps, Bryce and Andy chose their game plan and picked some shrubs to hide in so that they couldn't be seen but would be able to see the adults coming. Biding their time, they waited.

Watching, their fathers seemed to talk while they counted. When their count was done they looked about generally checking the space before physically searching the best spots.

As they moved through the options, the boys worked not to giggle until they were in range. Popping out of hiding, they fired rapidly and accurately to take their fathers down.

Laughing, they watched as Andy and then Peter carefully fell to the ground and did their count.

Running ahead to the nearest porch while their fathers pretended to be unconscious, the boys crouched in the shrubs next to the stairs before crawling under the edge to avoid being spotted on their fathers' approach.

"You're the expert at escaping prison, which method do you think we should use? Peter was asking Andy as they walked up and took seats up to the table for their count.

Trying to listen, the boys couldn't hear the whispered answer so they could only guess based on Peter's response.

"Always the dramatic," Peter sounded amused at whatever plan Andy had shared.

As they finished their count, the men got up and moved to start walking around the porch.

Knowing they were hiding their intent, the boys started paying more attention to where they were trying to guess what the plan might be.

When they shifted, Peter and Andy were by the door when they pulled a quick turn and raced across the porch to leap beyond the boys reach as they tried to turn and fire at their father's retreating figures.

Scurrying out from hiding, the boys gave chase.

Dancing across the lawn, they enjoyed the game partially playing with their fathers' while also learning strategies that could save their lives if their fathers' enemies ever came after them or if they grew up to be agents like their heroes. Bonding together, the Burkes enjoyed their time in the yard to play games until they needed to wash up for dinner.

Using their imaginations, they used the yards as their battleground whether it was cops and robbers in the concrete jungle or Vikings on the high seas. Whatever their pleasure, they were able to make their environment work into their adventures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, leaving kudos, following, choosing to favorite my stories and me, and voting :D
> 
> This has become my favorite brother's story and I hope you enjoyed it as well :D However, this is the end of it so we'll begin a new adventure next week. The votes are listed below and next week I will begin posting Miniature. Also, since we're taking another trip to research moving next weekend, I will be posting early, around mid week (Wednesday or Thursday).
> 
> Miniature: III
> 
> The Yearbook Incident: II
> 
> Rejection's Rift: II

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, leaving kudos, reviewing/commenting, choosing to favorite, and following :D


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